


Fairytail AU Short Stories & One Shots

by Petri808



Series: Fairytail AU Short Stories & One Shots [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bora Bora, Coffee Shop, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Curses/Spells, Day At The Beach, Dragon art, Dreams and Nightmares, Driving, F/M, Fairytail, Family Dynamics, Fashion Show, Friendship/Love, Godesses, Gothic, Gypsy, Halloween, Hawaiian vacation, High School, History, Kids, Lifeguard, Love, Love Confessions, Marriage Proposal, Mean Girls, Memories, Next-Gen, Nightclub, Omen - Freeform, Plushies, Pregnancy, Regret, Relationship(s), Scars, Stripper, Stuck in the Rain, Tarot Cards, Tattoo, Teen Angst, Unrequited Love, Video & Computer Games, country side, crystal ball, fall festival, fashion models - Freeform, flaws, ghost/God, haunted hospital, lava flow and volcano, marvel character mentions, medical scare, newlyweds, poweroutage, stuffed animals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 18:24:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 100,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11213685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Petri808/pseuds/Petri808
Summary: These will be one shot or short stories of my favorite ships but in the real world.  It will be added to randomly as I write AU stories so please bookmark it to be notified when that happens :)





	1. Biohazard

Groaning… “Oh where am I?” her voice muffled and groggy.  The room she finds herself in is darkened with only a small bit of moonlight filtering in through a curtain-less window.  Turning over slowly her stiff and sore body aching with every movement.  She looks down at her hands that are pressed against the wooden floor planks, they are dirty and cut up.  “What happened…” Her mind flashes back; _the abandoned farm house… oh no they found us!  Running, they were running away from… she’s screaming… then he screamed and pushed her, pushed her out of the way of… and then falling…_   She looks up.  There is a hole in the ceiling from the second floor.  _‘I fell through there…’_   “Oww!”  she grits her teeth as the pain in her head finally reveals itself, reaching up she feels something wet and sticky running down her fingers; blood.  _‘I must have hit my head when I landed...’_  

~~~

As soon as the outbreak had taken on a life of its own; she, her boyfriend Natsu, best friend Levy, and Levy’s boyfriend Gajeel managed to escape The City before the gates were sealed shut thanks to friends in the RPD.  Of everyone they knew, they were all that remained, the others either killed or worse…  The four had been constantly on the move for the last couple of years, travelling up and down the Midwest trying to avoid the hordes figuring the bigger cities would be overrun.  That is, up until a couple of weeks ago when they were caught off guard while hiding in a motel near Las Vegas.  The zombies caught Levy, who now turned and attacked Gajeel.  She and Natsu managed to climb out of a back window and escape by hotwiring the nearest car.   

 

….and now here they were.

      

That’s when the sudden realization of being all alone enters, _‘Oh no!  Natsu?!’_   She sobs lightly.  He had saved her but at what cost?

She staggers to her feet, keeping a hand pressed against the small wound.  Barely able to see she shuffles her gait and uses her arms and hands to feel in front of her.  The room she landed in is empty save for a box of what looks like old magazines and a broken chair, _‘Damn’_ nothing she can really use as a portable weapon.  Squinting she notices a little bit of shine that catches her attention, her heart leaps; a door knob.

Pressing her ear against the wooden door she hears nothing and exhales as she slowly turns the ancient knob.  Slight whine as the old gears turn metal against metal… She holds her breath and prays, _‘please nothing hear that…’  click_.  Pushing the door inch by inch the rusted hinges groan and creak until there is about a foot of space.  Steeling herself for whatever may lie beyond she peeks her head out just enough to listen; she holds her breath.  Left… _silence_.  Right… _silence_.  But there’s a problem, the hallway is much, much darker. 

Retreating back into the shadows of the room.  _‘Think Lucy, when you entered the front door what do you remember?  To the right was a kitchen, left a living room, in front of you was stairs leading to the second floor and right next to it, the hallway!  But which side of the hall am I on?  The wrong turn and I’ll hit the wall at the end…’_  She exhales, _‘I’ll need to use my phone to see, b-briefly.’_   Her hands shaking as she fumbles for the phone in her pocket.  Pressing the power button, she breathes a sigh of relief; thank goodness for car chargers.  Using her hand to control how much light is visible she returns to the hallway, listening one more time for any sounds before flashing the light.  Right, wall!  _‘The front door is to my left!’_  

Keeping her back pressed up against the wall she creeps along feeling with her feet for any obstructions.  20 feet.  _Silence_ , so far so good…  15 feet.  Her eyes are starting to adjust to the conditions, light from the front windows providing a slight ability to gauge her surroundings.  10 feet.  She’s nearing the kitchen.  _Freeze!_   She hears a shuffling sound and comes to a dead halt, staying still; only her eyes darting around searching for the source of the noise.  A shadow crosses in front of her but she cannot make out a specific shape.  Her breath hitches and her eyes travel along the staircase up into the darkness of the second floor.  _‘Whatever attacked us could still be up there!’_  

She remains motionless.  5 minutes pass by, no further noises.  She darts her eyes to the front door.  _‘Should I take the chance?’_   10 minutes.  _‘What if, whatever it is upstairs is watching and waiting too?’_   Most of the walking undead were slow and only had one primal urge, to eat; eat anything they encountered if it had flesh.  But, they had heard from other travelers about zombies that seemed to, almost think.  And then after Levy had become one of the undead they saw this with their own two eyes.  Levy had 3 options in the room; attack her who was the closest, attack Natsu who was right next to her, or attack Gajeel who was across the room; she chose her boyfriend.  But why?  Was it familial?  Some underlying emotional tie? 

No time to think about it.  The front door was right within a short running distance, 5 full gaits if she sprinted.  To… _‘Stay.  Go.  Stay, No.  Go!’_   She pushes herself off using the wall as a springboard and takes that first leap.  _Creak!_   _‘Shit!’_   Second step.  _Whoosh!  Thud!_ “NOOOO!!” her shrill cries echoing against the silent walls as something pins her to the floor.  Thrashing against the assailant she screams in absolute terror and pain as it pulls at her hair.  Shredding through her clothes it claws at her back and its nails dig deep into her flesh.  “AHHH!  Stop!  Get off me!”  Finally, she manages to twist her body enough to turn over, her matted hair blocking some of her vision she grabs onto a pair of arms.  “Oh No!”  Her eyes grow wide as soon as she sees the attacker.  She starts to whimper.  “Natsu.  It can’t be!” 

A large wound to his throat, hair no longer spiked but flat in some areas from all the blood, patches missing in others. What is left of his clothing is either shredded or filthy.  More wounds already starting to fester pockmark his arms and upper body.  Through lifeless green eyes he stares down at her.  His canines, that she once thought were cute now become his most menacing of features.  “Natsu Stop…” she sniffles.  He halts his assault for a moment as if he recognizes her voice….

That fleeting hope of recollection is dashed when he bares his teeth and tries to bite her.  She screams.  “Natsu Nooo!  Please… Don’t!”

 

~~~

 

“Natsu Nooo!” she tries to push him off of her

“Lucy!”  he shakes her

“Nooo!  Please!  Don’t!” she flails against him

“Lucy wake up!”  he shakes her again, harder this time

“Don’t hurt me!”  Her eyes pop open and she bolts into a sitting position with her hands still poised as if fighting off an attacker. 

“Lucy, it’s okay, no one’s gonna hurt you!”

“Wait!” Now completely awake, “Where am I?  I was just…” She looks around in a state of shock, no longer in an abandoned farm house but their apartment.  She blinks, “…but you were a zombie… and you were attacking me… and…” 

“Zombie?  Attacking you?  Lucy you were having a nightmare.”

“No!  It-it was so real…” she checks her body for wounds, reaches up to her head convinced there’d be blood but nothing.  Tears welling up in her eyes, “I swear; I could feel the blood running down my fingers, I could feel every slash from your nails…” 

He pulls her onto his lap and holds her tight to his body, “Well it’s over now.  You’re safe.  And if anymore _zombies_ try to attack, I’ll protect you.”

“ _Tch_ ,” she crosses her arms, “Don’t tease me!  You’re such an ass sometimes.”

He laughs harder, “I’m sorry babe, I couldn’t help myself.  But I think no more scary video games for you anymore.”

She punches his arm, “You’re the one who made me play it!  I told you Resident Evil terrifies me!”

Still chuckling, “I just wanted you to try it once, didn’t think you’d get so rattled.”

 _Sigh_ , “I’m just gonna stick to Pokemon Go! from now on.”

“WoOoOoOo!” he tickles her side, “Beware of the Charizard babe, it might scare you.”

“Oh please, I love my fire dragon!”   

 

 

NaLu Week Bonus Day June 15th, 2017  - Prompt Video Game


	2. Siren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being separated from each other for 5 years, Lucy takes a singing job at a gothic lounge and fate intervenes

Whenever she’s feeling down she turns on her phone to look at his picture; her high school sweetheart.  She sighs, his cheeky grin always made her smile, and how she loved to run her fingers through his spikey mess of pink hair…  Her father never approved of their relationship, he wasn’t of high enough class, didn’t come from a wealthy family so to separate them he sent her away to college in Europe to prepare her for corporate life.  But she never forgot him…

It was no easier for him.  He had tried to move on, went to the local University, but no matter how much he tried, he could never get past his depression and the loss of his first love so after dropping out in his 2nd year of college, he went to work for his old man’s garage and never looked at another girl again.

~~~

 

“Lucy, I am sending you to run the Magnolia office.  Since you are familiar with the town, I assume this won’t be a problem for you?”

“If that’s what you want father.” Her voice flat and monotone.

“This is for your own good Lucy.  I will not be around forever and you must be ready to take over this company when that time comes.”

 _‘I don’t really want it…’_ she sighs.  “Is there a reason you are sending me to Magnolia?  I thought you didn’t want me going back there.”

“I have no choice; the director is retiring and I have no one else to send.”

“Fine.”  _‘At least I won’t have to look at you every day anymore…’_

“I have already set up a home for you there.  Virgo and Capricorn will be accompanying you from our servant staff.”

 

It took Lucy 3 months after arriving to evaluate and set up the Magnolia branch to run itself.  Once that had been finished she realized she needed to find something to keep her sane so one Thursday evening while driving through the city she sees a bar called Fairytail and becomes curious.

“Wow…” she remarks under breath as she takes in the ornately decorated expanse.  The gothic themed bar was not grungy or weird like others she had been to, but had a beautiful, decadent feel to it.  Dark mahogany woods mixed with stone, bronze sconces and warm red lighting; reminded her of some medieval castles in Europe.  Booths lined the walls along with a few tables, the U-shaped bar was also wood lined and surrounded by high backed bar-chairs.  A stage took up one side of the room with space in front for a dance floor and on that stage, was equipment for live bands.  She walks up to the bar where a smiling white-haired woman greets her.

“I’ve never seen you here before.”  The woman remarks.

“Yes, I was driving by and it caught my attention.” Lucy looks around her, “it’s a beautiful place.”

“Thank you,” the woman smiles.  “My name is Mira.  I’m the owner here, may I get you something?”

“Lucy.  That would be great, do you have Appletini’s?”

“Coming right up.”

She sips at her drink as she watches the band set up and the room slowly fill with people.

“Do you by any chance sing?”  Mira asks the blonde

“Oh, sometimes if I’m in the mood.”

“It’s open mic night if you’re interested.  You just tell the house band what you’d like to sing and if they can play it they will.”

“Does it have to be punk or alternative type music?”

“No,” the bar maid chuckles, “It can be anything you want.  This may be a gothic themed bar, but I only created it because I find this style beautiful.  I appreciate all types of people and music.”

“You know what, I’ll give it a shot.”

Mira waves over a rather large man covered in piercings, “Gajeel, this young lady would like to sing something.”

He looks at Lucy, “What song?”

“ _When You’re Gone_ by Avril Lavigne.”

“We can play that.  Give me a few minutes and come over to the stage.”

“Okay.”  He nods to his boss and walks away.

Mira- “Don’t mind Gajeel, he just acts tough.  Wait till you meet his girlfriend Levy, she’s the total opposite of him.”

“Why is that?”

“It’s better if you see for yourself, she helps me bartend from 8-12, Friday and Saturdays.”

“Oh…”  Lucy sees Gajeel waving her over.  “Looks like I’m up.”

Mira smiles, “Good luck Lucy.”

 

She stands in front of the mic stand as the song begins… _‘When You’re Gone’ by Avril Lavigne_

“I always needed time on my own.  I never thought I'd need you there when I cry.  And the days feel like years when I'm alone, and the bed where you lie is made up on your side.  When you walk away I count the steps that you take.  Do you see how much I need you right now?

When you're gone, the pieces of my heart are missin' you.  When you're gone, the face I came to know is missin', too.  When you're gone, the words I need to hear to always get me through the day, and make it okay.  I miss you….”

 

At the end of the song, many customers are clapping and whistling as she walks off the stage and back to the bar. 

Mira- “Pretty good Lucy, you know I just lost my Saturday singer, wanna consider the job?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes I am.”

“Hmm,” she taps her chin, “This could help me de-stress after the work week....  Mira, I’ll take it.”

“Great, you should come in by 7 so you can go over your songs with the band in the dressing room.  Then you’d sing from 9 till at least 10, longer if you wish.”

“Sounds good to me.” She stands up.  “I need to be going but here is my contact info.” She hands Mira her business card and leans closer whispering. “Please don’t share who I really am with anyone.  Call me Lucy Ashley for now.”

Mira’s eyes widen but she holds her composure, “Sure, it’ll be your stage name.  I’ll see you on Saturday.  Ms. Ashley.”

“Thank you Mira.”

 

Lucy decides that she wants to create a new persona to go with the stage name and with the help of her friend Cancer, she dons a black wig, punk or gothic inspired clothes, and sports a darker makeup to finish the look.  That Saturday she officially debuts at the Fairytail Lounge and the haunting melodies she chooses to sing along with a mix of more riveting songs quickly develops a following.  

She is amused when she finally meets Gajeel’s girlfriend Levy who true to how Mira described her is the total opposite of him.  Fresh faced and sweet natured, she and the blue haired girl develop a friendship when they discover a shared love of reading.  On her second Saturday, Levy introduces her to a cousin of Gajeel named Rogue who while more on the quiet side, seemed nice.  Levy thinks he’s developing a crush but Lucy tells her friend she has no interest in any guys right now and they leave it at that.

 

A couple of months later at the garage he works at, Rogue is talking about the singer at the bar he hangs out at.  “You really should come with me one Saturday Natsu, she’s got an amazing voice and she’s friggin’ stunning to just look at.”

“Rogue, you keep talking about her, you keep trying to get me to go, but you know I don’t care to go out and I certainly have no interest in any women either.”

“I know you’re still pining for your first girlfriend, but man you’ve got to move on at some point.”

“No.”

“Come on, just come with me one time and if you don’t want to go back I won’t force you.”

“Are you gonna drop this anytime soon?”

“No.”

“Ugh!  Fine.  I’ll go once and that’s it.  I could use a drink anyways.”

“Trust me, you’re gonna love it.”

 

That Saturday starts off as it usually does for Lucy but today she’s excited because the new outfit she ordered finally arrived.  The top is a scoop neck red corset that truly flatters her figure with long black, kimono inspired sleeves.  A red and black tulle ruffled skirt that is shorter in the front, about mid-thigh that tapers down to the floor in the back and 6-inch, black heeled shin boots finish off the ensemble.  Cancer puts her black wig on and styles it with two spikey buns and bangs to frame the sides of her face while his makeup artist creates an alluringly dark smoky cat eye and ruby red lips to compliment her milky white skin. 

Rogue and Natsu walk in and take a seat at one of the booths fronting the stage, “We gotta come early cause this place gets packed when she sings,” he tells Natsu, “and I always try to get the best spot seat.”  Levy brings them their drinks and joins them for a few minutes.

Levy- “Wow, how’d Rogue manage to get you here Natsu?”

“He wouldn’t stop bugging me.”

Rogue- “You won’t be disappointed.”  Natsu rolls his eyes.

Levy- “Lucy is an amazing singer, Natsu I think you’ll at least enjoy that much while Rogue here just comes to ogle at her.” she snickers

Rogue- “I come for the music too!”

Natsu- “Why didn’t you mention her name is Lucy?”

Rogue- “Does it matter?”

“That’s the name of my ex!  It’s the one name I don’t want to think about.” He starts to get out of the booth.

Levy grabs his arm, “Wait!  Don’t go just because of that.  Come on Natsu we won’t say that name again.  Just relax and here,” she pushes his drink back in front of him, “keep sipping on that, it’ll be okay.”

“Fine, but if one of you says that name again I will leave.”

Rogue- “Fair enough.”

Levy- “Yeah.” She notices the tables are really starting to fill up.  “Well I gotta get to work.  The band will be starting in about 30 minutes but do you guys want snacks in the mean time?  We got chicken wings, fries…”

Rogue- “Nah I’m fine.”

Natsu- “No but I’ll take a double of Flashfire.”

Levy- “Sure thing.”  

 

“There she is”, Rogue sighs as Lucy and the band sets up on stage.  “She looks extra gorgeous tonight too!”

Natsu stares intensely at the woman.  _‘No, it can’t be… Lucy was a blonde… but those brown eyes…’_   He pushes his cousin shoulder to get his attention.  “Rogue, do you know if that’s her natural hair color?”

“Huh?  Oh no, she’s actually a blonde but she wears a wig when she performs.”

His voice cracks, “W-what’s her last name?!”

“Um, I think it’s Ashley.  Why?”  _‘That’s the name she uses to hide her identity!’_   All the color leaves Natsu’s face causing alarm in Rogue.  “What’s wrong Natsu, you look like you’ve seen a ghost?!”

“Th-that’s her!”

“What do mean that’s her?”

“That’s my Lucy!”  He sinks into the booth debating if he should stay or run as all the emotions he had suppressed for the last 5 years explode to the surface.  “Fuck!” he mutters under his breath. 

Rogue puts his hand on his cousin’s shoulder, “Natsu don’t freak out.  How did you two split up anyways?”

Natsu hangs his head, “Her dad didn’t approve of me so immediately after high school he shipped her to Europe for college.  We lost touch after that.”

“You know Levy mentioned once that this Lucy was still in love with a guy from high school… It’s why I’ve never tried to ask her out, she said if she couldn’t have him, she’d rather stay single.”  Natsu looks up at him in shock and Rogue squeezes his shoulder.  “Sounds like she’s still in love with you too...” 

 

Standing on the stage as the lights in the club dim and the spotlight focuses on her…  Piano intro, she lifts the microphone to her lips…

_Evanescence, ‘My Heart is Broken’_

“I will wander 'til the end of time, torn away from you….”

        Silence in the room as her mournful voice reverberate through the air…  Natsu closes his eyes and let’s all his anguish flow along with her.

“I pulled away to face the pain.

I close my eyes and drift away.

Over the fear that I will never find

A way to heal my soul.

And I will wander 'til the end of time

Torn away from you.

My heart is broken

Sweet sleep, my dark angel

Deliver us from sorrow's hold

(Over my heart).

I can't go on living this way

But I can't go back the way I came

Chained to this fear that I will never find

A way to heal my soul

And I will wander 'til the end of time

Half alive without you

My heart is broken

Sweet sleep, my dark angel

Deliver us

Change - open your eyes to the light

I denied it all so long, oh so long

Say goodbye, goodbye

My heart is broken

Release me, I can't hold on

Deliver us from sorrow's hold.”

 

As loud clapping fills the room, Levy hands Lucy a glass of water to refresh her throat.  “Damn girl that gave me chills, the pain you channeled into the song, where does it come from?”

“Oh, it’s because of h…”

“Lucy?”

Her head turns towards the familiar voice, “Oh My God!”  Her eyes widening as her hands fly up to her mouth.  “Natsu?!”  She rushes off the stage and jumps into his arms gripping to him with all the strength she could muster. 

“Lucy!” tears flow as he tightens his grip around her body. “It’s really you…”

“Na-Natsu…”  She buries her head in his chest and cries.

Rogue joins Levy next to the stage as they all smile at the scene unfolding.  “So that’s the girl he’s been pining for all these years,” Gajeel snorts, “At least I won’t have to hear him whine any more.  Levy slaps her boyfriend.  “So, is she gonna finish the set or should we cancel?”

Levy slaps him again, “Can you be a little more supportive of your cousin!”

Finally, after several minutes Lucy releases her tight hold and Natsu wipes away some of the tears that are still trickling down her face.  She sniffles, “I’ll need to go clean up my face,” she chuckles a little, “down side of makeup.” more sniffles.

His emerald green eyes soften, “I can’t believe you’re really in my arms Luce.”

“You called me Luce.” Her face lights up

He smiles, “It’s what I always call you,”

Tears build again, “I know, I really missed it…”

Mira walks up, “Um just wanted to check if you wanna take a break… or cancel for tonight?”

Lucy- “Oh!  I’m sorry Mira.  Um,” she looks at Natsu who motions with his eyes to the stage and smiles.  “Let me take a short break and clean up but I’ll finish the set.”

Mira smiles, “Of course.”  “Gajeel, you guys play some instrumental for the time being.”

Lucy turns back to Natsu, “I need to…”

“Go ahead, I’ll be watching you right from that booth,” he points.  “I loved when you used to sing to me.” He grins

“You still remember?” 

“Of course I do.”

“I think, I still remember the one...” She whispers in his ear before turning to go freshen up, but stops.  “Natsu?”

“Yeah?” he turns back to her.

She grabs his face and kisses him roughly on the lips.  _Sigh_ , “Damn I’ve missed that too!” she grins at his goofy expression.  “See you after the set.”

“I love you Lucy.” He calls out as she heads to the dressing room

Turning to blow him a kiss, “I love you too Natsu!”

Natsu settles back into the booth with a new grin on his face.  “Thanks for dragging me here tonight, I owe you big time.”

“My pleasure.” Rogue smiles. 

 

After cleaning herself up, and regrouping with the band she changes their final song…  _‘Because You Loved Me’ by Celine Dion_

She smiles at him and whispers _‘I love you baby’_ before raising the mic to her lips.  “For all those times you stood by me…”  Natsu’s eyes widen _‘she remembers!’_  “…for all the joy you brought to my life...”  He relaxes back into his seat and closes his eyes.  “For all the love I found in you…”  It’s the song she sang the night they confessed their feelings...  “I’m everything I am because you loved me…”  He smiles…

 

Lucy finishes the performance, but before joining Natsu at the booth she takes off the wig and wipes off the heavy makeup.

“Aww,” Natsu teases as soon as she sits down, “I kinda liked you as a goth girl.”

“Seriously?  I can go put the wig back on if you want.”

He smirks, “Maybe later.”

Rogue- “I should probably leave you two alone.”

Lucy- “Sorry Rogue…”

He waves his hand, “Don’t worry about me.  I’m happy to see my cousin smile again.” and gets up to go sit by Levy and Gajeel.

Natsu puts his arm around Lucy’s shoulder and she leans on him, “Did you like the song?”

“You remembered.”

“How could I forget…” she kisses his grinning lips.  “So now what do we do Natsu?”

“Well, that’s up to you Luce.  I assume we still have your father to contend with.”

“Not anymore.  He died of a heart attack 4 months ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, I know you weren’t close but he was still your father.”

She shrugs her shoulders, “I was a little sad but frankly he never treated me like a real daughter anyways.”

“But what happened to the company?”

She smiles, “You’re looking at the CEO.”

His eyes widen, “Are you being serious with me??  Then what are you doing singing in a club?”

“Even a CEO needs to have fun sometimes.  I started doing this to relieve my stress.”

“Wow, so I guess I should be asking you what now?”

“Well… I have the love of my life back, I’ve got all the money we could ever need, so…” she kisses him again.  “What else is there?”

“Just one thing, my little Emo Queen.”

She giggles, “And what’s that?”

“Something I’ve been waiting 5 years for…”  He takes hold of her left hand and kisses it, “Wedding bells…”

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Just Beautiful...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Lucy the loss of her mom and the death of her father has left her spiraling into a darker world... Her guardians do what they think is best for the sheltered and lonely teen; they send her to public school. Where she meets a boy who will change her life.

Up till now, all she had experienced in life was unhappiness from behind a gilded cage because her father had kept her sequestered, no tv, no cell phone, and limited internet access.  Studying and prepping her for the rigors of the business world was all he cared about because to him, she was just a means to continue the family company.  But now he wasn’t around to monitor what she did so like an animal being released from its cage, all that repression channeled into a rebellious attitude and style that was far removed from the pink Princess good girl image he had tried to groom.               

She and the company was left in the care of his father’s main partner Capricorn along with her maid Virgo to prepare her to one day take over as CEO.  But by the time she turned 16, they had watched as Lucy’s whole being changed and turned inward.  Most of her days were spent glued to dark internet chatrooms and blogs where teenagers like her could vent about their lives.  Streaks of dark purple weaved through her beautiful golden hair… Her clothing choices grow darker; black leather, corsets, straps, boots… A choke chain around her neck…  dark colored nails… Heavy lipstick, eyeliner and shadow…  Music blares through the walls of her room, sounds they can’t even understand; screaming, ominous, foreboding melodies.    

 

The pretty little emo goth…  

 

Whenever her guardians tried to talk to her about going out, making friends; she just wants to be left alone she’d always scream at them.  But they know they can’t do that for her sake… 

“Miss Lucy, you’ve only known the walls of this house, you’ve no friends to talk to and I don’t count the people online, maybe experiencing life as a regular teenager will be good for you.”

“Capricorn, does it look like I want to do anything of the sort!”

“Well we’ve already enrolled you at Magnolia High.  It’s a couple of cities away where no one will know who you are.  A house is set up for us there and you’ll be starting next school year.”

“I can’t believe you did that Virgo!  Who told you it would be okay?!!”

“As your guardian’s it is our duty to do what is best for you until you turn 18 whether you like it or not.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Class we have a new student joining us,” Lucy stands frowning next to Mrs. Connell, “Her name is Lucy Ashley, please make her feel welcomed.”  “Lucy I’d like you to sit next to Natsu, he’ll be your partner for the year.”  She points at an open chair next to a pink haired boy.

“Ugh, great.”  She plods over and drops onto the open chair immediately putting her head down.  She has no desire to be here, and even less willingness to interact with anyone let alone a boy. 

Natsu rolls his eyes, _‘how the hell could Mrs. Connell be so cruel!’_   His friend Gray snickers at him to which he responds with a classic finger wave.  Other students around the room whisper amongst themselves, especially the girls.  Natsu is a popular guy and to be stuck with the weird goth girl; to them it was so, so wrong.

For the rest of the period, Lucy doesn’t say anything to anyone.  Burying her nose in the textbook, she does her work and as soon as the bell rings, grabs her stuff and walks out.  She finds a picnic table in the quad area and opens her book; reading has been the one comfort in her life where she could run away from her reality and into somewhere make believe. 

 

“Mrs. Connell got you good huh, sticking you with that girl.”  The two friends walk through campus.

“Ugh, I know; that friggin’ witch.”

“I have to say under all that black she’d be pretty.”

“Why don’t you take her as your partner then?”

“Nope, Juvia would kill me if I did or her.”

“ _Tch_.”  They keep walking.  “Look… It’s her.”  Natsu points to the picnic tables.  Virgo had dressed her that morning after a fight and some concessions.  The final outcome; a dark red corset top, black cropped jacket with bell sleeves, matching skirt, and black 4inch heeled ankle boots.  Her shoulder length hair is half up in two spikey buns with some long bangs framing the sides of her face.  Dark red lipstick and nails.  _‘I do like the color she’s wearing.…’_ he thinks to himself. 

Gray pushes his friend from behind, “Go talk to her.”

But Natsu plants his feet and pushes back, “What makes you think she’d want to be bothered?  She didn’t say jack to me in class.”

“Man, she’s new, don’t know anybody, don’t know _you_ yet.”  He stops pushing and punches his friends shoulder.  “What’d she got to talk about unless you give her something”

“I don’t know…”

“She’s a challenge to crack and I’ve never seen you back down from a challenge.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just sayin, that girl obviously needs a friend; you’re stuck with her at least in English class for the year, so you might as well try to make the best of it.”

 

After just a couple of days of silence Natsu can’t take it anymore and tries to strike up conversations with the quiet goth.  Mostly he gets yes or no with a few short answers in between.  But she did ask him one question, why does he wear a scarf when it’s not winter time.  He’s surprised to find out this Lucy girl is only a Sophomore but is in their Junior English because well, she’s pretty smart.  On the other hand, English is the one subject he absolutely hates so apparently, Mrs. Connell had put them together for a reason. 

 

Two weeks into the school year, it’s Monday again and for once her outfit is almost semi-normal; maybe because the weather was a little warmer that day.  A red and black plaid sundress with black leather straps and her hair is left down; but her make up is still the same, dark red lipstick and a heavy shadow. 

“I hope you’re ready for this class, it’s your first major assignment.” Mrs. Connell walks around the classroom handing out papers to the groans of several students.  “Along with your partners you are to collaborate on a research paper that will be due two weeks from today.” Finished handing out the papers, she walks back to the front of the class.  “The main topic may come from any period between ancient history till the middle ages.”  She writes two words on the board and points to it, “Famous Couple.  Your research paper should answer the questions I’ve listed on the assignment sheet.  Any questions?”

“Does it matter if the couple is real or not?”

“Yes, they should be real, historical figures, no couples from fairytales.  Any other questions?”  Silence from the room.  “Take the rest of the class period to decide on your topic and plan your work out.” 

Natsu sits back in his chair, “This sucks.  Why a paper so soon in the year!” he whines.  “Ugh, I was warned she’s a tough teacher; I bet she was an outlaw in her former life.”

“It’s not that bad,” Lucy whispers, “Look…”  He leans over and reads as she writes out the basic steps.  _‘Pick your topic, research the topic, write outline, rough draft, final draft’_   “…See, easy.  First thing is we need to pick a couple to write about.”

He looks at her, “Yeah, easy for you maybe.  I don’t even know of any couples to choose from.”

“Well,” she taps her chin, “There’s Marcus Antony and Cleopatra.  Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn...”

“Ooh, what about Romeo and Juliet…”

“They aren’t real.”

“Oh.  Bummer.”

“There’s Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal…”

“Who?”

“Have you heard of the Taj Mahal?”

“The place in India.”

“Um yeah, Shah Jahan was the ruler and he built that for his wife.  Or how about Akhenaten and Nefertiti?”

“Okay, at least I’ve heard of them before from movies.”

She sighs, “Let’s stick with them.”  As she scribbles their names on the paper.

“Hey Luce?”  he leans in closer to her.  “Know what?”

“My name is Lucy.”

“I know, but I like Luce better.  So, do you realize something?”

“What’s that?”

“You’re being nice to me.” He grins, “And I think this is the most I’ve heard you talk, like ever.”

“I’m not trying to be mean… I just don’t like getting close to people.”

“That’s sad...”

“If I don’t get close to anyone, I can’t get hurt when they eventually leave.”

He just stares at her.  There’s likely a reason she feels that way but he doubts she’d tell him, so to break the awkward silence, he changes the subject.  “How about you come over to my house after school and we can start working on this stuff.”

She pauses, “I don’t know if I’d be comfortable with that…”

“We need to work together on this, and we only have a couple weeks to get it done.  My parents will probably be working but my sister will be home if that helps.”

“You have a sister?”

“Yeah,” he gives her a big smile.  “A little sister named Wendy.  She’s in middle school.”

“I guess it’ll be okay...”

“Great!  Give me your number and I’ll text you the address.”  She scribbles her number on a piece of paper and hands it to him.  He takes out his phone and sends her his address.  “If it’s easier, I could just meet you at the front of the school and we could walk to my house.”

“That would probably be better.”  The bell rings. 

Gathering up their belongings, “Okay, remember, afterschool.”  She nods at him.

 

On the way to his house, Natsu’s in a good mood now that he’s finally making some progress with the mysterious girl.  “I don’t mean to pry Luce, but why do you think people will eventually leave you?”

“Because they do.  People die, relationships break up…”

“Did something happen to you?”

She looks away, “my mom died when I was little, and my dad died last year.”

He stops walking, “I’m sorry.  I didn’t think…”

She waves her hand, “Don’t trouble yourself.  I only have vague memories of my mother and my dad, well let’s just say we weren’t close.” 

“Still, I feel like kind of an ass for even asking.”

“It’s not your fault.”

 

As soon as they reach the modest Dragneel home, a blue ball of fur comes running from the kitchen.  “What’s that?”  Lucy asks

“A cat,” he looks at her strangely, “for a smart girl, how do you not know what a cat is?”

“I know _what_ a cat is but it’s blue?  Isn’t that kind of weird?”

He picks up the purring feline, “Says the girl with purple in her hair… right Happy?”

She’s about to respond when a girls’ voice calls out from another room.  “Natsu?  Is that you?”

“Yeah Wendy, it’s me.”

A pretty young girl with long blue hair walks around the corner of the hallway.  “Natsu…  Oh hi, I didn’t know he had company.”

“Wendy, this is my friend Lucy.  Luce, this is the little sister I told you about.”

Wendy- “You’re girlfriend?”

Both Natsu and Lucy blush.  “N-no” he responds, “She’s my English partner.”

Lucy- “We have to work on a research paper.”

“Oh” Wendy giggles, “Sorry I just got excited that maybe he finally managed to get a girlfriend.”

“Ugh!” he puts the cat down and grabs his sister. “What do you mean finally!” he starts tickling her.  “I can get a girlfriend if I want to!”

Wendy’s giggles turn shrieks fill the room, “Stop!  Please!” she’s laughing so hard her stomach starts to tighten, “I was just teasing!”

He stops his torture, “You just wait till you have a boyfriend, I’m gonna have so much fun getting you back!”

“Better not!” cries Wendy

“You know I will!” he laughs.  “But as much as I could keep messing with ya, we need to start studying.  Will you be okay by yourself Wendy?”

“I’m not a little kid anymore.” She crosses her arms. 

He pats her head, “To me you’ll always be a little kid.  Come on Luce, my rooms this way.” He grabs her hand and pulls her down the hall.  After seeing how he is with his sister she thinks, maybe he’s not such a bad guy…

 

They start off just staring at Natsu’s laptop to research their topic but it quickly becomes apparent to Lucy that he won’t be of much help unless she makes him work so she hands him her Macbook Pro, “I’ll do the leg work, you type out the notes I tell you.”

“Do I have to?” he whines. 

“That cute face isn’t going to work on me.”

He grins, “You think I’m cute?”

Her cheeks turn pink, “I-I didn’t say you were cute!” she stammers.  “I meant the act you’re putting on!”

“It’s okay if you think I’m cute,” he smirks, “cause I think I’m quite adorable!”

She rolls her eyes, “Oh brother.  Then Mr. Adorable,” she shoves the tablet in his hand, “get to work.”

“Fine.” He pouts while opening the screen, “I’ll win you over one of these days.”

“Uh-huh…” she mutters, fingers already whizzing through websites.  _‘he is kind of adorable…’_        

           

~~Tuesday~~

The next day at lunch, she’s reading again in the quad when two guys walk up to her. 

Rogue- “Excuse me, Lucy?”

She looks up at the dark-haired male, “Yes?”

“Hey, um.  My friend and I were wondering if we could sit and hang out.”

“Why?”

Sting- “What he means to say is he thinks your cute and can he talk to you.”

She closes her book, “Come again?” she looks first at the blonde with one earring and then turns back to the first male.

“I’m Rogue, this is my friend Sting.” They sit across from her.  “Don’t mind Sting, his mouth doesn’t come with a filter.”

“Look, I’m not really interested…”

Rogue- “I think we have some things in common.”

“Such as?”

Sting- “Goth.  Just look at him, he’s into the music, the clothes… just like you.”

“Well actually, I wouldn’t call myself a goth.”

Rogue- “Neither would I.  We just happen to like the darker side of things, right?”

“And what about you,” she looks at Sting, “You into the goth scene?”

“Nah, I’m just here for moral support.  You see Rogue, he’s kinda shy with ladies but I _looove_ talkin’ with them!”

“Look I’m not interested in any relationships right now.”

Rogue- “Neither am I,” he lies, “I just thought you could use a friend, one that might understand you more than other students here.”

Sting stands up, “Oh look, my girlfriend.” he lies.  “Rogue, I’ll see you later.  Nice meeting ya Blondie.”

“Lucy.”

“Whatever,” he waves as he runs off.

“So, what are you reading?”

“Prince Lestant.”

“Anne Rice huh; I haven’t had a chance to read this one yet but I heard he has a son in it?”

“Yeah, they were able to figure out a way for vampires to produce offspring.”

“I think Blackwood Farm was my favorite, though I like all of her stuff.”

“Really…”

 

That afternoon she’s back at Natsu’s to do more research and her conversation with Rogue has put her in a decent mood. 

“Good day today?”

“Yes actually, I made a new friend.”

“Oh… Who’s that?” expecting a girl’s name

“Rogue Cheney.”

Annoyance in his tone. “Sting’s friend?!”

“Um, yeah, that’s him.  Why?”

“It’s nothing.” He mutters and turns back to what he’s working on.

She looks at him curiously, _‘Is it me or does he sound irritated?’_   “Then why are you quiet all of a sudden?” 

“It’s nothing.  He’s an okay guy.  I’ve known them both for a few years.” He responds without looking up.

“We have similar interests, that’s all…  You know, if I didn’t know better, you sound a little bitter that I was talking to a guy.”

“Me?  No…  W-why would I be, you can talk to whoever you want to.”  She continues to stare at him.  His eyebrows are furrowed and a frown still on his face.  “What is it Luce, I’m trying to concentrate.”

 _‘He’s lying to me…’_   “Alright, well he wants to hang out sometime…” She sees Natsu’s mouth open as if he is gonna speak.  “…but I told him I’m busy so I’ll just see him around in school.”  He lowers his head further to hide it but she can see a smile form… 

 

~~Wednesday~~

The following day Sting corners Natsu outside of their English class.  “Hey pinky, I heard Lucy’s been at your house every night this week.”

“And, so what Playboy, we’ve got this damn research paper to work on.”

“Are you guys hooking up?”

Natsu narrows his eyes, “Why do you care Sting?”

“That wasn’t a no.”

“That wasn’t a yes either.”

“Look my friend likes her and I just wanna know if he’s got competition.”  Sting sees Natsu’s eye twitch.

“Lucy doesn’t want a boyfriend right now so Rogue might as well give up before he starts.”

Sting probes. “And how do you know that?”

“I just get that vibe from her.”

 “Are you sure you’re not just sayin’ that,” Sting taps his finger on Natsu’s chest, “cause maybe you’ve got the hots for her?”

“When have you seen me interested in goth girls?”

“Dude, I’ve never seen you with _any_ girl.”

“That’s because I’d rather wait for someone special.  Now if you don’t mind, class is gonna start.”  Natsu walks pushes past.  Sting just smirks.  _‘He does have a crush on her!’_

 

That afternoon, Lucy is on Natsu’s bed working on the outline for the paper while he just sits watching over her shoulder.  He’s so close she can feel every breath that he takes, the warm air tickling the back of her neck.

“Natsu, personal space; ever heard of it?”

“Yeah, you’re in my personal space, it’s my room remember?”

 _Sigh,_ “that’s not what I meant.”

“I know,” he leans back against the wall chuckling.  “I’m just messin with ya.”   “So, um Luce, I was wondering, if you’re willing to share, how did your mom pass away?”

She stops typing and looks at him, “She died of cancer.”

“What about your dad?”

“Heart attack.”

He’s a little taken aback by her bluntness.  “Well, did I ever tell you I’m adopted?”

A surprised tone in her voice, “No, you’ve never mentioned it before.”

“My sister is too.”

“What happened to your birth parents?”

“No clue.  The adoption agency wouldn’t tell us much, only that she died in child birth and my father I guess couldn’t cope with it all.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be, I’ve got awesome adoptive parents and a sister; I couldn’t be happier.” He smiles.  “Well…” a blush forming, “I could be happier…” he gazes intently at her. 

She stares back for a second before turning away, her cheeks are warming up.  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I appreciate beautiful things…”

“I’m not beautiful.” She can feel her heart speeding up

“You’re right…”

“I am?”  She looks up

“You’re gorgeous.”  Now she’s really blushing

“Y-you’re just trying to charm me.”

He smirks, “Is it working?”

 _‘Maybe…’_    “No!”  He pouts and she quickly turns her head again when she feels her cheeks flushing brighter, _‘Damn it, he needs to stop doing adorable shit!’_  

“Then why are you blushing, Luce?” he teases her

 _Sigh,_ “Why are you trying so hard Natsu?  I’m sure you could get any girl you wanted in that school…”

“I don’t want just any girl.  I’m looking for the _right_ girl...  Isn’t that what we all want in life?”

“Perfection doesn’t exist.”

“You don’t need to be perfect, that’s quite frankly boring.”

She smiles in her head…. 

 

~~~~

Thursday’s weather is gloomy so she goes to the library on her lunch break to read instead of the open quad.    

“That’s a good story.”

“I’m sorry?”  Lucy turns around to find a blue haired girl smiling at her.  “Are you talking to me?”

The girl nods, “I’m Levy.  Pleased to meet you.”  She offers a hand to shake.

“Lucy.”  Reciprocating the gesture.

“I like Anne Rice too, I love how she humanizes the vampires in her stories, makes them characters anyone can relate to.”

“Yeah,” Lucy half smiles.  “I agree. 

“Do you have a favorite character?”

“Um, Maharet.  I identify with how she’s been through so much in her life…”

“Yet she still managed to hang onto her sanity.  My favorite is Marius, I guess because he’s in a way scholarly.”  Lucy chuckles at the girl.  Levy sits down next to her, “Rumor has it you and Natsu are an item, is that true?”

“W-what!?  He’s just my partner in English class.”

“Yeah but people are talking about how you’re at his house every night.”

“To work on a research paper…”

“Hey look, I really don’t care… but I should warn you…” She looks around to make sure no one is eavesdropping.  “…There’s this girl, Lisanna.  She’s had the hots for Natsu for years but he always turns her down.  She can be a real bitch so just be careful.”

“Thanks… I guess.”

A rather large guy covered in metal piercings walks up, “Oi, Pipsqueak, let’s go, I’m hungry.” 

“Hold on Gajeel, I’m talking to someone.”

“Who’s he?”

“My boyfriend.  Don’t mind him, he acts tough,” Levy leans in closer, “But he’s really a big teddy bear.” she whispers

Crossing his arms, “I heard that.”

Lucy’s taken aback at the odd pair, the girl looks like a bookworm and he belongs in a heavy metal band.  “Um, okay...”

“Anyways, if you’d ever like to hang out, talk about books or something give me a call.”  She hands Lucy her number.

“Thanks, I’ll remember that.”

“It was nice meeting you Lucy.”

“Like wise, Levy.”

 

~~~~

Friday is finally here and just 8 more hours of school.  This week has had its up’s; she’s made two new friends, and her assignment with Natsu is going well.  In a good mood that morning, she’s thrown on a cuter outfit than usual, a Kei Jrock Japanese black and rose red skort, fitted black tube top with a long sleeve frilled jacket that matches the skirt.  She’s got her hair half up in pigtails and her bangs are left down to frame her face; Oshare kei.  Even her make up is a little brighter than usual.

 

Second period Chemistry, Natsu walks in with a smile and sits down next to his best friend Gray.

Gray- “Hey, you’ve been in a good mood lately.”

“What’s the big deal?”

“Does it have anything to do with that Lucy chick?”

“No.  What makes you say that?”

“She’s been over your house every day, anything, _interestin_ g happen…”

Natsu’s cheeks flush, “Not what you’re implying, we just work on the assignment.”

“Uh-huh, you tellin’ me you haven’t tried anything?”

“Look man, she’s very guarded about her life, doesn’t like getting close to people.  She lost her mom to cancer when she was a little kid and her dad died last year; that’s pretty tough to deal with.”

“It sure sounds like you two are growing closer.”

“Well she talks more, if that’s what you mean.”

“You know, rumors are starting to spread that you two are hooking up.”

“Let the gossip mill run, it doesn’t bother me.”

“What about her?  Some of the girls are calling her a slut.”

“What!” he almost shouts.  “She’s nothing like that!”

“Look, I’m just tellin’ ya what’s being said okay.  You know girls how they talk, they get jealous and say stupid things.”

“It’s not my fault or hers that I’ve never been interested in any of them.  But I don’t know what it is about Luce that makes me want to be around her.  She’s had a sad upbringing and… like I just wanna make her happy again, I wanna protect her.”

“Luce?  Oh man!  You’ve already got a nickname for her!” he slaps his friend in the back.  “You’re fallin’ for this one aren’t ya?”

“I don’t know… Maybe...”

 

Last period of the day for Lucy, she sighs as she walks into Art class and takes her seat in the middle.  Midway through the lesson she hears two girls talking behind her; Sherry Blendy and Jenny Realight; two of the most popular girls in school.  _‘Ugh!’_ she laments in her head.  Most days she just ignores them but today’s conversation is meaner than usual.

“I know right, just look at what she’s wearing.” 

“Looks like something you buy at Kmart.”  _Snickering._   “Stupid punk girl, she should just find another school to go to.”

“Yeah, she’s doesn’t fit in here.  Have you heard, she’s been spotted at Natsu’s house!”

“How the hell did she land him after he’s turned all of us down!  Wow, Lisanna’s gonna be pissed.”

“Maybe she’s some kind of witch and he’s under her spell.”

“Must be, I mean look at her and look at us, she’s not even in his league.”

“Or maybe she’s just a whore.” More snickering

“I’d say slut cause I’ve seen her with Rogue too.”

“Damn she gets around.  Minerva’s not gonna like that.  Double trouble!”  they giggle

Lucy can’t believe what she’s hearing.  Being teased about her clothes or looks is one thing but to be called a whore, a slut, a witch!… She wants to run out of the room but that would only give them the satisfaction of hurting her.  She holds back the tears but as soon as the bell rings she walks out and texts Natsu.

_“IDK if I can study today.”_

_“Y not?”_

_“Don’t wanna talk bout it”_ the tears are starting to build.

_“Something happen??”_

She’s trying to rush to the front door.  _“just don’t wanna…”_   someone grabs her shoulder, she whips around.

“Luce, are you okay?”  It’s Natsu and he can see the glassiness to her eyes. 

“It’s nothing.”  She tries to walk away but he stays in step with her.

“You’re not okay.  I can see it in your face.”

“I just want to get out of here!”  A single tear trickles down her cheek, she speeds up her pace but he’s not gonna let her go that easily. 

By the time they reach the sidewalk fronting the school he manages to grab her arm to stop her.  “Luce, please just talk to me!”

“I don’t want to…”  She looks around at some students that have stopped to gawk at them.  “…not around these people.”   

“That’s fine, we can go somewhere private.  Just don’t shut me out.”

“Natsu why are you being so nice to me?”

“Because you’re my friend and I don’t like seeing my friends in pain.” 

She looks at him surprised. “You consider me a friend?”

“Of course!” he smiles his cheeky grin.  “There’s an ice cream stand in South Gate Park and you look like you could use a cone.”

 _Sigh,_ “Alright Natsu....”

He throws an arm around her shoulder and leads the way.

 

After getting two cones, they walk to his house talking along the way about minor things but he doesn’t broach the subject that upset her until they are safely in his room.  “So… are you gonna tell me what happened today?”

 _Sigh,_ “If I don’t tell you, are you gonna keep asking?”

“Yes.”  The serious tone in his voice surprises her in a good way.

 _Sigh_ , “Two girls were talking about me in art class,” Tears are welling up again.  “They often make fun of my clothes or makeup but today they were really mean, sayin’ I must be a witch and I’ve got you under a sp-spell.”  She weeps openly.  “They don’t under-under-s-stand w-why you’re ha-hanging with me but they a-also saw me with Rogue a-and I’m a wh-whore and-and-and a slut!”  Her chest is heaving from the heavy sobs.  “That I’m n-not in your league and...”

She stiffens when he pulls her onto his lap and into a tight hug but he doesn’t care cause she needs it.  “Luce don’t listen to those girls, they’re just jealous, heartless bitches who are mad cause I’ve turned them all down.”

“It still… hu-hurts…”  After several minutes of just letting her sob onto his shoulder her tears finally start to slow down and she has relaxed in his arms.  He looks down to see if she’d fallen asleep but her eyes are open, staring forward as if she’s thinking about something.  “I know people think I’m weird…” she sniffles.  “They look at how I dress or at my makeup…  But I just wanted to be different from my old self…”

He softens his tone, “What do you mean?”

“My mother would always dress me up like some kind of princess, and my father only allowed me to wear preppy, proper, boring clothes that he hand-picked himself.  So, after his death, I guess I just wanted to rebel against everything and everyone.”

“It’s okay to be different Luce, it’s what makes us all unique.” He tightens his embrace.  “And I know that what’s happening right now; you being here with me has caused some rumors to start going around but we know the truth, right?” 

“Yeah…”  she yawns.

“We’re just trying to write this paper for English class…” 

“Mmhm…”     

“We know there’s nothing going on between us……”  he pauses.  “…cause… you don’t have any interest in me… right?”  She stays quiet.   “Right?”  She still doesn’t say a word.  “Luce?”  he looks down and chuckles.  She fell asleep.

 

Two hours later a light mumbling sound causes her to stir… _‘Luce... stay…’_ tightening feeling around her waist… _‘like y…’_   Her eyes pop open in a slight panic; the room is dark now except from the moonlight.  _‘Did I fall asleep at Natsu’s?’_   There is light snoring behind her and an arm around her waist holding her tightly.  She lifts her head to see a glimpse of pink hair.  _‘Shit! I did, was that him mumbling?’_

Feeling her moving, he starts to wake up. “Luce?” he responds groggily.

She crawls out from under his arm and stands up.  “You were talking in your sleep… and why were you holding me like that?!” 

He sits up, “Talking?  Holding you like what?”

“Y-you had your arm around me, like-like…”

“A boyfriend?”

“Yes!  Like that.”

“I don’t know,” he scratches his head and yawns, “After you fell asleep I laid you down on the bed, and then I guess I fell asleep too.”

“That doesn’t explain you holding me.”

“I must have done that in my sleep.” He lies.  “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to overstep any boundaries.”

She sighs and sits on the edge of the bed, “It’s okay.  I think I’m just over reacting, especially after the comments from today…”

“Are you sure you’re okay…”

“Yeah.  Natsu… Um, I think you were saying _‘Luce stay’_ and something about _‘like’_ but I couldn’t understand the rest.” 

 _‘Oh crap I was talking about her!’_   His cheeks turn red but luckily for him she can’t see it in the darkened room.  “I don’t remember, I must have been dreaming.”

She raises an eyebrow, she knows he was talking about her but didn’t hear enough to make sense of it.  “Well it’s getting late, I better call my ride.”  Standing up.  “Natsu.  Thanks for today.”

“You’re welcome.”  She grabs her school bag and is about to walk out.  “Wait Luce?”  She stops and turns.  “Do you have plans tomorrow?”

“No why?”

“Would you, um, wanna maybe…”

“Spit it out already.”

“Hang out with me at the mall?”

“The mall?”

“Yeah.  I need to, um, pick up some stuff, but the company would be nice.”

“I don’t know…”

“Please???”

“Alright.”

“Really?”

“What time?”

“Do you wanna meet here first and we can walk over?”

“Why don’t I just have my driver pick you up?”

“You have a driver?”

“Err, I mean my guardian… We can pick you up.”

“Sure, I’ll just have to take my pills but I should be okay; how about 10 am.”’

“Pills?”

“For motion sickness.  I don’t do well in moving vehicles.”

“Oh.  Ok, Well I’ll see you tomorrow Natsu.” She gives a slight wave and walks out.

“Bye Luce.”

 

~~Saturday~~

By 8 am Lucy’s up and nervous.  _‘Why’d I agree to go to the mall with him!’_   She screams at herself.  _‘What do I wear?  Should I dress like I normally do?  Then I’d run the risk of being harassed…  But if I don’t then am I being true to myself?  Ugh, lately who I am has been a big question mark anyways!  Sigh.’_   As she throws outfit after outfit around her Virgo walks in. 

“Princess, are you having a problem?”

“Could you stop calling me that??”

“Mistress, what are you doing?  Why are there clothes all over the floor?”

“Because I don’t know what I should wear!” she stomps her feet

“For once you’re considering dressing _normal_ aren’t you?”

“Maybe…  Ugh, are you gonna just smirk or help me?!”

“Well you burned or threw away most of your old clothes.” Virgo starts searching the closet.  “How about these, it’s simple…”  she holds up a regular pair of flared leg blue jeans and a red tube top.    

“I guess that’ll have to do.”

After getting ready, Lucy pulls her hair into a single high ponytail and puts on black 3inch ankle boots.  Her customary red lipstick, but more of a strawberry color instead of the darker burgundies she normal sports, pink eye shadow and just a light black eyeliner for definition.  Frankly she looked like a different girl.  _Sigh_ , as she stares at the mirror, _‘hopefully I’ll just blend in like this…’_   

 

Natsu is already running down the sidewalk as the car pulls up.  Reaching over, Lucy opens the door for him from the inside and he hops in.  “Hey Lu...” He smiles before realizing… “Whoa, you look so different!” 

“Geez, hi to you too.”

“No, I mean it in a good way!”

“I just don’t wanna be harassed today that’s all… and I know how I normally dress attracts attention.”

He shrugs his shoulders, “I’m used to it.  You look pretty to me either way.”  Virgo smirks from the driver’s seat, she knows their plan is finally panning out.  She drops the two teens off in front of the mall and tells them to call her when they are ready to leave. 

“Okay Natsu, what was it you needed to do here?”

“Oh…” he cups the back of his neck.  “About that… I kinda just blurted out mall cause I couldn’t think of anywhere else in that moment.”

“Seriously?”

“I just wanted to hang out with you some more…”

 _Sigh_ , “What do we do here?  I’ve never just hung out at a mall before.”

“Seriously?  Well, um we could go window shopping, see a movie, there’s the food court…”  he grabs her hand.  “Let’s just walk around for now, maybe something will catch your eye.”

“You can let go of my hand though.”

“Wouldn’t want to lose you in the crowd.” He grins.  “Just have some fun Luce!”

The first store he drags her into is a GameStop where he’s jabbering about some new video game called Breath of the Wild she has no interest in.  After that they take turns.  She pulls him into a bookstore, the last place he’d ever shop at so he forces her into a Zumiez to check out their snowboard gear.  Having fun with this cat and mouse game she gets him back by dragging him to a Victoria Secret. 

“N-no way!  I’m not going in there with you!”  he crosses his arms.

“Why not…” she pouts

“It’s lingerie!”

“What’s the big deal, even guys wear underwear.”

“That’s not the same thing.  This is like lacy, frilly stuff.”  She laughs and pouts.  “Nope, Sorry, that cute face is not gonna work on me.”

Standing in front of him she runs a finger along the middle of his chest.  “Come on,” she leans close, “I know there’s stuff in there you’d love to see on me…”

He turns bright red, “Lucy, a-are you flirting with me?!”

“If I am, then you better take advantage before I change my mind.”

He drops his head, “If I get caught in there, the guys are never gonna let it slide.  But.  Since I like seeing you smile, I’ll do it.”

She takes his hand and pulls him into the store heading straight for reds and lacy cause she knows it’s his favorite color.  As she grabs some items to try on, holding the clothing against her body, she’d ask along the way, “Does this look nice?  How about this one?”  He’d give her short answers because he was trying not to look in the first place or rather imagine them on her.  But after choosing several she does exactly what he feared.  “I’m gonna try these on.”  Grabbing his hand again she leads him towards the dressing rooms.

“You are crazy, I can’t go in there!” he whispers.

“Yes, you can, I need you to tell me if they look okay or not.”

“No.”

A clerk walks up.  “Ah Ms. Lucy, I’m surprised to see you here during business hours.” 

“Oh hey Trevor, yeah I’m just shopping with a friend.”

“Shall I show you to the private rooms?”

“Yes please.”  Trevor leads the way

“Come on Natsu.” She pulls him along, “Please...”  She whines, “Don’t cause a scene.”

“Of all the times to…” as he shuffles his feet, “Luce are you trying to kill me?” he whispers but she just smiles.  Trevor opens one of the separate rooms reserved for specialty guests and she pushes Natsu in.  The man just chuckles at the pair and walks away. 

She gives him a sweet smile.  “You’ve never seen a naked girl before have you?” He blushes.  “Thought so.”

“How come you know that guy and why’d he say during business hours?  Do you come here after the store is closed?  And this room, it’s not one of the normal dressing rooms is it”

“Oh um… I know the owner of the store, o-old family friend…”  he can tell she’s lying but decides not to push.

“Just sit there, close your eyes if you want to.” and that’s exactly what he does.  Lucy starts to hum a little as she undresses and changes into the first bra and panties.  “Okay open your eyes now.”

“No.”

She leans down in front of him and forces his eyelids open.  “Holy shit!”  He has to quickly grip the chair to keep from falling off when the first vision that he sees is large breasts in his face. 

“What?!”     

“Don’t do that!”

“Do what?!”

“Stick your chest in my face when I’m not expecting it.”

“Oh,” she giggles, “Sorry I was just trying to open your eyes.  So?”  She stands straight and models for him, “How does it look?”

His eyes widen as something in his pants starts growing.  _‘Shit!!!!’_   He snaps his eyes shut, “Looks great, buy it, let’s get out of here!”

“But I still have 2 more to try on.”

He sighs, “Luce I-I can’t do this, it was funny at first, embarrassing but funny, but now…  You...”  _Exhale_.  “…You’re a pretty girl and I’m a guy who likes..; don’t you realize how much of a turn on this is?”

She stares at the red-faced boy blinking.  All this time she thought he was just being charming, even the comments about being beautiful; she never took it seriously that he might have real feelings for her.  “I’m sorry Natsu, I didn’t realize you looked at me in that way.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“No one else does.  Everyone thinks I’m just the weird girl.”

He opens his eyes but quickly slams them shut again, “But no one else has gotten to know you like I have.”  _Exhale._   “I’m glad that you can come out of your shell around me, I really do.  I love seeing what is probably the real you, but unless you have feelings for me too, this is just torture.”

Without saying another word and feeling like a total idiot she turns around and immediately changes back to her regular clothes.  Leaving the items on the go back rack, they leave the store without a purchase.

She looks down as she walks, “Maybe I should just go home.”

“Why?”

“I feel like a witch for putting you through that.”

“Luce don’t.  I’m fine.” He grabs her hand, “Let’s go do something else.  How about lunch?  Are you hungry yet?”

“Not really…”

“Hey.” He stops her and lifts her chin, “I didn’t mean to make you sad, and torture was too a strong of a word.” He squeezes her hand, “Please, stop worrying...” he searches her eyes. “…will you do that for me?”  His green eyes are hypnotizing her; she nods her head.  He smiles and puts his arm around her shoulder.  “How about Arby’s?”

 

~~Sunday~~

 _Sigh, ‘Girl what is going on in your head?!’_   She lies in her bed trying to listen to music but despite the noise, her own thoughts are drowning it out.  _‘I think Natsu likes me…  No way, he’d probably get turned on by any naked girl standing in front of him.  I shouldn’t get my hopes up, I mean what about me would a guy like him want anyways?  Right, he’s better matched to one of the popular girls like Jenny… But he said he doesn’t like them, called them bitches.  Ugh!  It’s for his own good to leave me alone.  I mean he must be getting teased just for hanging out with me…  Except for English I think it’d be better for the two of to stop talking…’_

He’s been lying in bed all morning without being able to get the images out his mind.  _‘Fuck!!!  Her body was just….Wow!’_   He puts his arms above his head.  _‘I can’t believe she did that!…’_   A new determination strikes him, _‘I’ve gotta make her mine!’_

 

~~Monday~~

Mrs. Connell had given them their daily assignment to read the chapter about Romeo & Juliet and answer a few questions in the text book before she stepped out of the classroom.  “Come on; just give me one smile Luce.” He whispers to her.

“Why?”  She tries to keep reading

“Cause it’s pretty and you know I like to see beautiful things.”

Looking at him now, “Is that supposed to be a pickup line?”

“Worked on you before,” he grins.  “Come on, I’m being genuine here, Scouts honor” he puts up two fingers

She cocks her head, “What’s scouts honor?”

“Um, Boy Scouts…” she shakes her head, “you’ve never heard of it?” she shakes her head again

“No…. I was sheltered remember.” 

“Right.  Back to the smile then.”

 _Sigh_ , she puts her book down and props up her head with her hand looking at him.  “You just aren’t gonna give up are you?”

“Nope.”  He gives her the best puppy dog cutesy face he can muster.  “Pleeeeeasssse!”

She panics and covers his mouth, “Ugh fine!  If it’ll stop you from embarrassing me.” and gives him a fake half smile. 

His face grows serious, “No way, a genuine one.”

“Hey” she shouts before catching herself, “you didn’t set terms!”

“Then I guess I’ll need to change my tactics.”  She looks at the grinning boy confused but that quickly changes to shock when he grabs her left hand.  Leaning in closer to the side of her face he starts to softly whisper...  “I see past the façade you paint, the dark clothes upon your skin for beneath it all is a smart, beautiful woman waiting to be released…” his thumb rubs gently against her hand “…if only you’d see, what I can see…” a slight blush is developing on her cheeks “…a young woman who has been through something that causes her to hide.  But _even if you lose everything, something remains_ and what I see is a star…” He moves his face so he can look directly into her now glassy eyes “…that when she is ready will burn brighter than any other star in the heavens…” the genuine blushing smile now on her face makes him smile “See, I told you… beautiful…” he caresses her cheek. 

They continue to gaze into each other’s eyes as if a spell had been placed upon them; almost forgetting they were in the middle of English class.  But the sudden realization of how quiet their classmates had become… too quiet, sets in for them both; they look around to see everyone gawking at them.  Quickly they turn back to their textbooks, both blushing and acting like nothing was happening.  But snickers and whispers and even a few snide remarks bounce around until the teacher walked back in.  The pair avoids any further contact for the rest of the period.

 

At the end of school that day, Lucy walks to her locker to grab a few things before heading home.  As soon as she closes it two girls stand ready to confront her, Lisanna and Minerva.  “Getting pretty cozy with Natsu and Rogue huh,” the dark-haired girl sneers.  “You best stay away from Rogue or else…”

“And I guess no one warned you that I’ve deemed Natsu off limits.”  The white-haired girl slams Lucy up against the locker.  “So here is your warning.  Stay away from him!”

“Kinda hard if we’re partners, you stupid cow!”  Lucy screams at them calling attention from other students.  “And Rogue and I are just friends!”

“Don’t call my friend a cow, friggin weirdo!”  Minerva slaps her in the face.  At this point Lucy is crying but still indignant.

“How about Bitch then, is that better!” she retorts.

“Why you little!”  Lisanna hauls back her fist to strike the sobbing blonde when her arm is grabbed from behind.

“Lis!  What the hell do you think you’re doing!”

“Natsu…  I um…” he pushes her away hard and stands in front of Lucy.

“And you Minerva!”  Rogue pulls her away.  “Leave her alone!”

Lisanna starts yelling and pointing, “She started it!  I heard all about what happened in English class today from Minerva and I know you two have been seen together outside of school!”

“I didn’t start anything!  You crazy, jealous bitch!”  Lucy screams back.

Lisanna tries to attack again, “Witch!” but this time her brother Elfman grabs her and holds her back. 

“I don’t know what you’re thinking Lis but I have absolutely no interest in you.  You can’t keep telling girls to stay away from me.”

“But Natsu…” he cuts her off.

“Leave Lucy alone!  And Don’t make me turn you in to Principal Makarov again.”  The girl hangs her head sobbing.  Natsu then turns back to the blonde.  He picks up her school bag that had been dropped next to her feet and gently takes hold of her hand.  “Let me walk you home Luce.”  Too shocked by everything that has just transpired she forgets all about her plan to stop talking to Natsu and just nods.

 

“Thank you.”  She mutters as soon as they’re out of the building and away from the crowds.

“For what?” 

She hesitates then squeezes his hand, “Everything…”

“You’re very welcome.” He smiles at her.  “So, um, where do you live?”

“Why?”

He chuckles, “Duh, So I can walk you home.”

There’s a brief sparkle to her eyes as she starts to laugh, surprising him, “Right, I um live on…  Oh, I’m not supposed to let anyone see where I live.”

“Is it like run down or something?”

“Err,” she bites her bottom lip, “actually the opposite.”

 _‘She looks so adorable right now!’_   “No problem, I won’t pry.  How about we get a bite to eat instead, I’m kinda hungry.”

“That would be really nice; I haven’t been eating lunch.”

“Great, there’s a café in the mall called Fairytail I like to go to”

“Fairytail?”

He shrugs his shoulders, “The original owner I guess liked fairies.”

Lucy murmurs, “Do fairies have tails, do fairies even exist; nobody knows for sure.  An eternal mystery, an eternal adventure…”

“Hey that’s a quote they have hanging in the café!”

“It’s a line in my favorite book.”  She holds up her right hand and shows him her tattoo.

“Huh!  That’s the symbol in the bar too!  I never realized that.” He squeezes her hand grinning.  “Your favorite book, my favorite hangout spot.  What a coincidence…”

“Yeah…  coincidence…”

 

After being seated, Lucy excuses herself to go to the restroom and locks the door.  _Sigh ‘What am I doing?  I was supposed to stay away from him…’_   She leans on the counter and just stares at her reflection in the mirror.  _‘But he makes me feel so different that I don’t know who I am anymore…’_   The dark eyed girl looking back at her really was a stranger, one she created to hide the pain that the real Lucy was running from, and more a stranger now than just a month ago.  _‘No, sigh, he makes me feel like the real me I’ve just forgotten…’_   She unclips the choker from her neck and tosses it into the trash.  _‘I see past the façade_ … _if only you’d see, what I can see’_ Sigh _‘he hit it right on the head…’_   She opens her purse and pulls out the makeup remover...

When she returns to their table, Natsu does a double take.  The girl who sits back down is still wearing the same clothes as Lucy but gone is all the makeup; he smiles, “Wow…” his voice breathy, “I think you’re more beautiful just natural like this.”  He reaches out to caress her cheek and for the first time, she doesn’t flinch from his touch but instead leans into it.

She blushes. _Exhale_ , “You’ve been so nice to me Natsu that I’d like to start over, with the truth.”  He looks at her confused.  She leans in and whispers, “My real name is Lucy Heartfillia, but you can’t tell anyone yet.”

His eyes widen as he remembers his parents talking about that name, _‘Heartfillia Corp… wife died maybe 12 years ago, the CEO died 1 year ago, 1 child orphaned but no description given.’_     She repeats what he said to her in class, _“even if you lose everything, something remains…_ You made me realize, this isn’t the girl my mom would be proud of... and I wanna make her proud” she smiles.

He grins, “Now some things make more sense, like the private dressing rooms at the store, having a driver, designer clothing; yeah I know those girls didn’t catch on but I snuck a peak at a couple of the labels on your clothes and these are pricey stuff!  Like this outfit, what it cost you, $200?”

A little taken aback that he’d been putting the pieces together like this, “More like $800 for the whole outfit, $1000 counting the shos.”  His jaw drops making her chuckle.

Grinning, “Well I’m glad I could help you Luce.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll need more help carrying all the shopping bags.”

He looks confused again.  “Shopping bags?”

She just smiles and pulls out her cell phone.  With the speaker phone on, “Cancer, it’s an emergency.”

“Ebi, what do you need?”

“A complete make over.”

“Just text me when you get to the salon…”

~~~~~~~~

 

The next day in class, a stunning girl with golden blonde hair walks in on Natsu’s arm.  Gone are the purple streaks, the punk clothes, the dark makeup…  She looks like she just stepped out of a glamor magazine.

Sting- “Whoa, who’s the babe with Natsu?!”

Gray slaps him, “That’s her stupid, that’s that Lucy chick!”

Everyone in the room- “No way!!”

“I told you...”  He grins at her smiling face, “…just beautiful.” 

 


	4. Written In the Cards

In a one bedroom dorm apartment, two girls ready themselves for a night on the town with their boyfriends.  It’s a comfortable place right on the college campus that provides two small closets, 1 bathroom, two twin sized beds and enough space for two small dressers.  But they’re excited because next year they’ll finally qualify for a place in the co-ed building only reserved for 3rd and 4th year students with their Bf’s.   

“Hey Levy?”  Lucy calls from her closet

She hears a dragging sound.  “Yeah?” 

“Is this yours?”

Popping her head in, “Shouldn’t be, what is it?”

“Tarot cards.”

“Nope not mine, where’d you find them?”

“They were all the way in the back on the top shelf.”

Levy shrugs her shoulders, “Maybe the last dormer left them by mistake.”

The two girls walk over and sit on Levy’s bed, removing the cards from the box and start sorting through them.  Lucy reads the name on the box aloud, “ _’Faerie Tarot’_ , Do you know anything about this stuff?”

Levy shakes her head, “Never really believed it.” Flipping through them, “But the pictures are pretty.  I’d try Googling it.”

“Good idea…”  Lucy pulls her phone from her pocket and clicks the app.  Reading through the list…  _‘Best Tarot- Honest Readings- Free Sign up.  Tarot cards- Wikipedia.  Tarot cards Interpretation and Meaning- Tarotlore.  Free Online Tarot Reading- Lotus Tarot.  Tarot Card Meanings at Aeclectic Tarot…’_    “The list goes on and on…  I don’t know where I should check…”

Just then their door opens, “Hey are you two ready yet?”  Gajeel asks as he and Natsu walk in. 

Standing up, Levy walks over to Gajeel, “I am,” and is immediately picked up by her boyfriend.  He’s much taller than she is so it’s easier when he want to kiss her; Levy giggles every time he does it.  “Lucy we’re gonna ahead to the mall, I wanted to stop at Hot Topic before we go to the movies.”

Lucy locks her phone and tosses it on her bed, “Okay, we’ll meet you guys by the theater at 7.”

 

After Levy and Gajeel leave Natsu plops down on the edge of his girlfriend’s bed.  “I’m just gonna change okay babe,” she gives him a peck on the cheek then walks back to her closet.

“Great, one hour wait…” he mumbles

“Did you say something?” she calls back

“No.”  He stands up and spies the Tarot cards on Levy’s bed.  “Hey Luce?  When did you guys get into Tarot cards?”

“Oh, we found it in the closet just before you guys came.”

Picking them up, he absentmindedly shuffles the deck as he sits back on her bed.  Lately he’s been hiding something from her and its bugging him.  After a few riffles he places them next to his side and lies back with his arms behind his head. 

As he waits in the relative quiet of the room his mind wanders to those thoughts once more.  _‘4 years…  I can’t believe we’ve been together 4 years already…’_  They started dating in her Junior year of high school.  _‘I love her so much but ever since I bought the ring I’ve been having second thoughts, is she’s really the right one for me?”_ He reaches his hand in his pants pocket and grips the box. _‘Should I have dated more to test the waters?’_   _Exhale_.  _‘…I’m so torn.’_    _Fluttering sound_     _‘I wonder if a break would…’_    _Fluttering sound_     _‘What the?’_  He turns his head slightly to see a tarot card levitate about a foot above his torso, flip over and land on the side of the deck.  “Holy shit!”  He scrambles to his knees screaming; heart rate tripling, “Lucy!!  The friggin’ card moved!!” and jumps off the bed.

“What is it?”  She rushes back out in only her panties and bra, a shirt clutched in her hand.  “What’s wrong Natsu?!”

“The card, it-it flipped over by itself!”  He points at the bed.

She looks at the cards then looks back and stares at him with a raised eyebrow, the look on her face says _‘really…’_

“I swear it Luce, I was just lying here and it floated up, turned over, and then landed on the deck again face up!”

Seeing the panic in his eyes, she realizes whatever it was he saw, even if she didn’t believe him, he was definitely scared.   Pulling her shirt over her head, she walks over to him and puts her hands on his cheeks.  “Natsu…” she softens her tone and kisses his lips tenderly.  “Whatever happened seems to be over right?”  She stares into his beautiful emerald eyes as he nods his head, his heartbeat already slowing down due to her gentle touch.  “I’m almost done getting ready and we can go okay?”  She kisses his forehead and releases his face.  “I love you Natsu.” 

“I love you too Luce.”  She smiles again before walking back to her closet. 

Mustering up the courage he slowly inches his way back to her bed to see which card had flipped over.   Reading the name in his head, _‘Two of Wands’,_ he pulls out his phone and types it into Google Search along with _‘Tarot’_ and _‘Meaning’_.  He clicks on a site that offers that kind of information, scrolling down taps the banner with those words and starts to skim, _‘the two of wands represent equal directions… fork in the road... but you can only choose one …… so make a choice…’_   He looks back at the card and mutters under his breath, “Is this _thing_ trying to tell me something?”

All of a sudden he hears the same fluttering sound from earlier.  His eyes widen as he stifles the desire to start screaming again and watches in amazement as the next card levitates, flips over and lands on top of the first card.   _‘Judgment’_.   Shaking slightly, he refreshes the screen and clicks on that banner, skimming through, ‘… _ruled by fire_ … blah blah blah, what does this have to do with me… _indicates a time of change… d-do something they’ve been putting off……But it’s also about making a final decision…this card really represents courage…’_ He starts to quietly freak out. _‘Whoa this thing is trying to tell me something!’_    

Again, more fluttering… _‘Lovers...’_    “Do you mean Lucy?” he mutters about to tap that into his phone when another card flips over; the _‘Four of Wands’_.   Quickly he clicks on that banner instead.  Immediately his eyes focus on just, three, words, _‘…often indicates marriage…’_  

He sits back on the bed and just stares at the cards speechless.  “Huh!”  He exclaims to himself. 

With his girlfriend humming to herself in the closet, his mind floats back to the moment he first saw her.       

        _“Gray,” he punches his friend in the arm, “Whose the blonde girl with Levy?”_

_“I think her names Lucy; she just transferred here why?”_

_“What do you mean why?  Look at her, shit she’s gorgeous!”_

_“Sorry man, not my type; but apparently she’s yours.  You gonna try talk to her?”_

_“Maybe…”_

_That day in the cafeteria he watches her walk in, now with two girls, Levy and Cana.  It was like slow motion.  They were laughing about something that made her big chocolate brown eyes sparkle, she flips her long, golden blonde hair over her shoulder while tilting her head…  then he sees the captain of the football team grab her from behind.  As she starts to shout at the boy to let her go, he jumps up from his table and swiftly moves towards her, punching Sting in the face, “Fucker!  Don’t touch her like that!”  Sting releases the sobbing girl who runs to her friends._

_“Who the hell do you think you are Pinky!” and tries to punch him back.  But Natsu dodges and counters, upper cutting him in the stomach, dropping Sting to his knees._

_“Someone who doesn’t care who the hell you are; you don’t grab women like that!”_

_At that moment a teacher runs up, “I don’t care who started it, both of you, detention!”_

_Sting tries to whine, “But Mr. Conbolt...”_

_“I don’t wanna hear it Mr. Eucliffe, detention after school.  You too Mr. Dragneel.”_

_Natsu starts to walk away when Lucy stops him.  “Hey, um thank you for doing that, Natsu is it?”_

_“Yeah, that’s me.” He grins at her._

_“But I feel bad you’ve gotta do detention now because of me.”  She frowns and looks at the floor._

_“Hey,” he lifts her chin, “Don’t worry about it, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”_

_When her smile returns with that sparkle in her eyes… he was hooked and they’ve been inseparable ever since._

It doesn’t take much reflection for him to realize his first instincts were right after all.  _‘I’ve always known she was the one...’_   he grins to himself.  _‘How could I have forgotten…’_

“Lucy, I need to ask you something.”

“What did y..” she walks out of the closet to see the young man on one knee holding a small box…. “Oh, my!  Natsu…”


	5. Scars

To the outside world, the pretty blonde was almost perfect.  Smart and beautiful, she made friends quickly, got along with almost anyone whether a nerd or from the popular clique.  For years she successfully hid her inner demons but by 16 it was becoming more and more difficult.  No one save her best friend at Magnolia High had any clue what secrets lay beneath the smile…

 

It had really started by the age of 4 when her mother Layla passed away from cancer.  Her father, who was never very affectionate to begin with grew ever more distant and the older she got, the more she was convinced that he blamed her for her mother’s death; no worse, sometimes she’d blame herself too.  With no friend’s around to interact with and only the servants to talk to, a cancer of its own took hold in the little girl; depression. 

She would steel herself away in her room for hours, reading or surfing the internet and on one of these occasions she googled _‘suicide’_ , _‘depression’_ , and _‘chat room’_.  Of course, most of the sites that appeared were about getting help and prevention but one chat, the one she zeroed in on was for people who openly talked about what they did to deal with their depression; and not in a good way.  That’s when the cutting began. 

When her 9th birthday rolled around and her father forgot all about it, a chain reaction of emotions flooded the young girl, voices in her fragile mind screaming for her to end the suffering.  Stealing a bottle of pain killers from her father’s room she swallowed a handful. 

It was her nanny that found her unconscious next to the open bottle.

Finally forced to act, her father sends her to the best child psychologist in Magnolia and slowly she began to heal emotionally.  As part of the therapy process, she was enrolled in public school so she could interact with other kids her age; friendship, the doctor told her dad, can be one of the best tools in fighting depression.

Luckily for Lucy, the first girl she encountered turned out to be just what the doctor ordered.  Levy, was a sweet, smart, friendly girl who quickly gravitated to the new student and soon the two were the best of friends; maybe more like sisters.  After a few months, it was during a sleepover at Levy’s home that she finally felt comfortable enough to reveal her painful past.  Much to her relief, her friend was not only understanding but supportive in a way that Lucy’s never felt before.  Even the scars that marred parts of her body didn’t frighten her friend.  And with this positive encouragement Lucy began to blossom into the girl she was always meant to be.

This went on for the next 6 years and Lucy was doing well but now the girls had entered high school and all the typical issues teenagers face.  School work was harder, that didn’t bother her; social standing, she didn’t have problems there; but body consciousness, that was an issue; peer pressure to start dating, that was a major concern.  Sure, she’d had crushes, been asked out by boys, but either she’d turn them down, or never really pursed such relationships because she didn’t want them to see the scars.  She had worked so hard to build a decent reputation for herself but there was always that anxiety that the wrong person would find out about her past and stigmatize her for it or worse… 

When Levy started dating a boy named Gajeel, she encouraged Lucy to do the same, “We could double date.”

“I don’t know Levy, most of the guys seem to only be interested in…. and I don’t want anyone to see… you know what.” 

“You just need to find the right guy Lu, I know he’s somewhere out there.”

“I hope so too.”

“What about the one from your chemistry class that often smiles at you, he seems nice.”

“You mean Natsu?  Yeah, I think he’s hot but I don’t know much about him.”

“According to Cana and Lis, he was adopted when he was a baby but he doesn’t let that bother him.  They said he’s a really sweet guy, but never had a girlfriend ‘cause he said he’s looking for someone special.  Makes me think he’s not like the typical guys we know.”

“Still, I don’t know…”

“Aaaand…” she drags out the word, “…they said, he asked about you…”

“He asked them about me?!”

Levy grins, “Yup, asked them what were you really like, you know nice, mean, blah blah, blah.  And when they told him you were sweet, he asked if you were single.”

Lucy’s face lights up with a tinge of pink.  “So, what they tell him?!”

“Of course they said you are.”

“And??”

“And what, they said he just smiled and left it at that.” 

“Great so what does it all mean?”

“I have no idea Lu; my crystal ball is broken.”

“Ha, ha.  Very funny Levy.”

“I’m sure you’ll find out eventually.  So, wanna go to the mall after school?”

“Sure, I’ve been wanting to check out the summer collection at Forever 21, but I’m supposed to see my therapist at 3.”

“Why don’t you meet me there afterwards, the sessions only like 30 minutes right?”

“Yeah, I can get to the mall by 4, I’ll text you when I arrive.”

“Great.  I’ll see you then.”

 

Lucy’s feeling great after her therapy session.  Routinely it’s just a check-up by the doctor to make sure everything is going fine in the girl’s life, and aside from a few minor things, all is running smoothly.  Arriving at the mall, she gets onto the escalator and starts texting Levy.

_‘Just got here, heading up to the food court now.’_

_‘I’m by the Cold Stone Creamery.’_

_‘See you in a mi..’_   So focused on the screen Lucy doesn’t realize she’s at the end of the escalator; she trips and starts to fall backwards.  A startled scream involuntarily erupts from her only to cut off seconds later.  “Oomp!” as she lands on something, or rather on someone…

“Hey are you okay?”  Asks a sexy voice as he helps her off the moving stairs.

“I, yeah, thanks to…”  her voice trailing off when she looks up and sees pink hair.  Her cheeks instantly turn red, “Thanks to you I’m okay.”   

“It was my pleasure,” the boy gives her a cheeky grin.  “You’re Lucy right?  From chemistry class?”

She nods, “And y-your Natsu.” 

“What brings you to the mall today?”

“Oh, I um am meeting my friend Levy at the food court.”

“Mind if I walk with you, I was heading that way too.”

“S-sure.”

He sticks out his left arm, “Shall we?”  Blushing again, she weaves her arm through the crook of his.  _‘He’s such a gentleman!’_   After a couple minutes of walking he breaks the silence.  “You know Luce, it’s funny I ran into you today ‘cause there was something I wanted to ask you.” 

She tenses a little, remembering her conversation earlier with Levy.  “Oh?”  she mutters, “What did you want to ask me?”

“Are you free Saturday night?”

“I-I um…”

“Yes, she is.”  Levy appears in front of them.  Lucy blinks her eyes and looks around them, she hadn’t realized they were already at the Food court. 

“I-I am?”  is all Lucy can manage to stammer out.

“Yes, you are.”  Levy turns to Natsu, “Be good to my friend or I’ll sick your cousin on you.” 

Natsu salutes Levy, “Yes ma’am!” 

“ _Tch,_ Smart ass.”  She turns and winks at Lucy who’s still a bit flabbergasted, “Lu, I’ll see you in school tomorrow.”  And skips away smirking.

“Sh-she planned this, didn’t she??”

“Huh,” Natsu turns to the girl who’s still holding onto his arm and runs his right hand nervously through his hair, “Oh yeah sorry, I was nervous about approaching you so she and my cousin set up this meeting.”

“Cousin?”

“Gajeel.  She didn’t tell you he’s my cousin?”  Lucy shakes her head.  “Well um… are you still hungry, where would you like to eat at?”  When she doesn’t respond he teases her.  “Luce I’m not gonna bite ya.”

“Err,” she bites her lower lip and looks at the options around her, “how about Arby’s.”

“Arby’s it is!” 

For the next 3 hour’s the pair sits in a booth at the food court.  Long after having finished their meals, the two had found a lot to talk about and the longer this went on for the more at ease Lucy felt around the young man.  It wasn’t until the mall was ready to close that they finally made their way out. 

Parting at the front entrance, “So Luce, I’ll see you in school tomorrow?”

“Yup,” she smiles.  “If you want to, we always meet at the picnic tables in the front around 7 to chill before school starts.”

“Count me in,” he takes her hand and kisses it.  “Good night Lucy.”

She blushes, “Good night Natsu.”

~~~

It’s been 6 months since their first date and the young couple have become inseparable.  Even Levy is surprised on how quickly her friend let Natsu into her inner space, that’s not something she’s ever done before with a guy.  At first, she was a bit protective, always checking on them, always reminding Natsu that he _‘better not hurt her friend or else…’_   But eventually she realized that there really was something special developing and could only hope that Lucy wouldn’t have another episode.  But true to his word, those fears were becoming a distant memory.

~~~

To mark their 1 year anniversary, Natsu takes Lucy out to dinner and a movie, then to his house to relax.  While his parents are downstairs in the living room, the couple head up to his bedroom and throw on some music.  But this always makes Lucy a little nervous, things had been going well with Natsu, and even though he’s never pushed her into anything uncomfortable, in the back of her mind she always worried.  They’ve made out a few times but he’s always respected her boundaries, never tried to grope at her, so she was torn.  She was falling hard for the young man and wanted to go further, but her fears always got in the way.  Levy and her therapist had started encouraging her to open up to Natsu, that he deserved the truth and if he truly cared about her he’d understand.  So, with Levy on call tonight, she planned to do just that.

Sitting on his bed, the couple are making out.  “Natsu…”  she whispers through the kisses.

“Yes Luce?”  he whispers back

“I need to tell you something.” 

He stops kissing her and cups her cheeks.  “You can tell me anything Luce.”  And pecks her lips again.

Her eyes glaze over.  “It’s um…” she sighs, “difficult for me to talk about my past and um… problems… and I’m really grateful that you’ve been so patient, never pushing me but I, I think it’s time I be honest with you.”

“Babe, if it’s too painful, you don’t need to do tell me…”

“No, I need to do this.”  She takes a deep breath… “I think it’ll be easier if I start from the beginning.” …and stands up.  Pacing next his bed as he listens intently to her ramble.  “My mother died from cancer when I was little and my dad was distant… no I believe he blamed me for her death like somehow I made her sick.  By the time I was 7, I was very depressed and I started to do things like cut myself to dull the pain…”  Tears start to trickle down her face.  “I was homeschooled, had no friends, no one to talk to…  I was so lonely.”  He reaches out and squeezes her hand to try and reassure her; this kind act makes her smile a little.  “Finally, on my 9th birthday when he forgot all about it I had a full nervous breakdown and tried to kill myself by overdosing on pain killers.”  She sees Natsu’s face cringe, but he squeezes her hand again.  “It was my nanny that found me and rushed me to the hospital; they said if I hadn’t been found I would have died within 30 minutes.”  She exhales again.  “After this my dad was forced to realize I had a problem and that’s when I started therapy, even our relationship got a little better.”  Natsu smiles.  “I was enrolled in public school as part of the therapy and Levy was the first friend I made.  It’s really thanks to her that I’m a lot better than I was before… She’s the only other person that knows the truth about me…”

“Lucy,” he pats the bed and she sits, “many of us have issues that we try to hide from the world or rather not think about.  Everyone thinks that I’m okay with having been adopted because I act like it doesn’t bother me but the truth is it took me a few years to accept it.  I wondered why my birth mom didn’t want me anymore.”  _Exhale_ , “The adoption agency wouldn’t tell us anything so I just hoped that she had had a good reason, maybe she was a teenage mother who realized she couldn’t take care of me properly and rather me find a good home.  But luckily for me, I had supportive adoptive parents that made sure I felt loved and wanted, and eventually I realized it didn’t matter how my life started out, only what became of it.”

Lucy smiles and rubs his hand, “I don’t know what’s worse to deal with sometimes, the emotional or physical scars.  With cutting myself, the physical pain helped to dull out the emotional ones for short periods of time… But that created a new problem for me, it left me with a few physical scars that I’m… ashamed of.”

“Come here,” he pulls her onto his lap and wraps his arms around her.  “Do you know what attracted me to you?”  She shakes her head.  “I could tell there was something unique about you.  Not only are you beautiful on the outside, but on the inside as well.  And now knowing that you had been hiding all this pain yet was still able to somehow shine through tells me I was right; Lucy you truly are special.”

“You really think so?” her eyes twinkle

He nods and kisses her cheek.  “Will you show me your scars?”

She takes a deep breath and moves off his lap to turn and face him.  “I-I’d need to take off some of my clothes.”  He nods, gets off the bed, locks the door to his room, and returns to her side.  Slightly trembling, and with a blush to her cheeks for this is the first time she’s ever revealed her whole body to anyone, let alone a boy; she pulls her top off and capri’s leaving her in just a bra and panties.  Slowly she points them out, a few on her upper arms, these had been hidden by sleeves, a few on her abdomen between her navel and just under her boobs, and a few on her upper thighs.  “Now you know why I wear the kind of clothes I wear…”

He looks closer at the scars, trailing his fingers along some of them.  “Luce, I’m so sorry you had to go through this…” he has moisture in his eyes.  “But these…” he runs his fingers along the ones on her arm, “don’t make me love you any less.”

“Y-you l-love me?” she stammers

“Yes.” He grins.  “And not just like you.  I mean I’ve fallen head over heels in love with you, the sweet side, the crazy side, every part of you.” 

“Natsu…” she tears up more.

His smile brightens, “I think these could be like your badges of honor, to remind you that while life can be difficult at times you can survive and you can move on.  It may have taken you a few years to get to this point but this also gives you the ability to understand human nature in a way that most people will never fully comprehend.”

She cocks her head to the side, “I don’t understand.”

“You were lucky to have found a good therapist, and a good friend to help you through it but many therapists aren’t as good, or many patients just don’t trust them because in the patients mind they think, _‘how do you really know what I’m feeling?’_   But when someone who has genuinely been through what they are going through tells them there is a light at the end of the tunnel, that is more powerful than anything a therapist can quote from a text book.”

“Wow…  I never thought of it that way.” Her face lights up, “How do you know so much about therapists?”

“I’ve been through a few too.  When I was younger I didn’t cut myself but I got into a lot of fights, I guess to let the anger out, and that’s where some of my scars come from.”

“Natsu, thank you for being so understanding…”

He caresses her cheek, “I just wanna see you happy Luce.” He kisses her softly, “I’d spend the rest of my life trying to keep a smile on your face…”

~~~

10 years later…  Dr. Lucy Dragneel PsyD opens a new practice in Magnolia specializing in child psychology.  Hung prominently above her desk is a sign; _‘Scars tell a story.  They are reminders of when life tried to knock you down… But failed.’_


	6. Sriptease

Levy- "Lu we got you a surprise for your birthday party."

"What kind of surprise?"

Cana- "Duh, were not gonna tell you what it is!"

"Ugh, then why tell me in the first place!"

Cana- "To drive you crazy!"

"You're such a witch Cana."

Levy- "Don't worry," she smirks, "You'll like this surprise."

 

That Saturday night, Lucy’s closest female friends gather at her house.  In attendance is her BF Levy, Cana, Ezra, and their newest friend Juvia whom they met in college.  Pizza and other junk food is spread out on the kitchen counter with several bottles of liquor.

In the living room, her friends have moved the couches to the edges of the room with one lone high-backed chair set up smack in the middle. On it, a sign reads, _‘Princess Throne.'_   Levy places a _'Birthday Girl'_ tiara on Lucy's head.  "Keep this on, don't take it off."

"Why?"

"It's so the stripper knows who the birthday girl is."

"A stripper!  OMG You got me a stripper for my birthday!"

Cana- "Girl, we got _us_ a stripper for your birthday."

At that moment Erza walks into the living room shouting, "Let’s get this party started!"  She holds shot glasses and a bottle of Apple Crown.  Passing out a glass to each of the girls, "To Lucy's 21st birthday!"

"Kanpai!" Everyone screams!

Downing her shot she puts the glass down, "Thanks everyone for coming.  I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate then with my closest friends."

Ezra- "How about a game to kick this off?"

"Let me guess, Truth or Dare." Lucy snickers

"How'd you know?!"

Cana rolls her eyes, "Maybe cause you always wanna play that game..."

"Well it's a lot of fun!  So how ‘bout it?"

Lucy shrugs her shoulders, "Why not."

Erza- "Birthday girl gets to start it off."

"Okay.” She sneers, “Levy, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Has Gajeel gone down on you?"

Levy blushes bright red. "Yes." Everyone giggles.  "Cana, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare"

"Kiss Lucy on the lips."

Cana- "So easy," and kisses Lucy.  "Lucy, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Who was your biggest crush on in high school?"

Lucy's cheeks turn bright pink, "Natsu Dragneel."  Cana, Levy, and Erza smirk.  "What?  What's so funny?"

Levy- "Oh nothing, you obviously still have feelings for him."

The game continues for a few more rounds as the girls keep drinking but soon there's a knock on the front door. 

Levy- "I'll get it."  She returns holding a blindfold, mask, and scrunchie.  "Lu I'm putting these on you, your surprise gift is here."

"No way, I wanna see this surprise!"

Cana- "Come on!  It'll be more fun this way!  Trust us."

“But…”

Erza takes the items from Levy, "Just deal with it." And puts them on the birthday girl.  Blindfold for her eyes, mask to cover the rest of her face, hair now up in a high pony tail.  After adjusting the strap, "Can you see anything?"

"No.  Why a mask?"

"Don’t worry about it."

 _‘Birthday Sex’_ by Jeremih starts to play as all the girls silently creep out of the room, _‘It’s your birthday, so you know you want to ride out… feels good but I know you want to cry out…’_   Lucy doesn't know she's all alone.  She sits there quietly, then starts fidgeting... nothing's happening. _'What the hell?!'_    "Guys? What's going on?"  No answer.  "Hey you guys??  This better not…"  _‘Get ready for action, don’t be astounded… Tell me where you want your gift girl…’_

"Just sit back and relax" whispers a low, sexy male voice.  Warm, steamy breath wafting over her ear and down her neck. 

 _‘We ridin’ with passion ‘cause it’s your birthday…’_ She stiffens. "W-Who are you?" 

"Your fantasy..."  music transitions to _‘Pony’_ by Ginuwine.  _‘…looking for a partner, someone who knows how to ride…’_  

Down on his knees he spreads her legs and kneels between them.  _‘…Girl when I break you off..’_   Taking her hands, he guides them along his bare chest.  He can tell she’s nervous so he keeps his grip soft but firm.  Slowly she makes her way along his pecs, shuddering from the solid feel of his muscles, along to his sides until she feels the edges of his shirt.  Maneuvering her fingers to grip the fabric he leads her movement, slowly sliding his shirt down his arms.  _‘…my saddle’s waiting, come and jump on it…’_   To accomplish this move she must lean forward and when her chest makes contact with his firm skin, her body heat spikes.  She can feel his breath on her skin again... “oh… my…” she stammers until the shirt is finally off…

He slowly rises to his feet all the while holding her hands at his side.  Pushing her legs back together, he turns around and sits over her lap guiding her hands around him to the button of his pants.  _‘…If you’re horny, let’s do it…’_   She gets the hint and starts undoing the button… and zipper. 

Standing back up he turns to face her.  Spreading her legs again, he moves her hands to the waist and curls her fingers around the band.  Satisfied she’s holding on, he prompts her to start pulling down.  Once she’s doing it on her own he leans forward and braces his upper body against the back of the chair.  “Relax…” he whispers in her ear.  She can feel the heat of his body so close to her face!  _‘Oh my God!’_   but it’s the fact she can feel she’s reached his thighs, which means now his crotch is also close to her!  That’s turning her brain to jelly.  Once the pants reach his knees they fall on their own and he kicks them off. 

Feeling just a little brazen.  _‘…the things I will do to you…’_   On her own she runs her hands back up along his thighs heading for his backside; it’s like a blind person reading braille, but he grins at her actions.  _‘…send chills up and down your spine…’_   When she gets to her destination he holds her hands there and pushes back with his hips to pull her body to the edge of the seat.  _‘…Ride it, my pony…’_   Holding the back of the chair for balance he leans his face next to hers and grinds his pelvis close to her core in a wave motion.  “Damn…” she groans out when his bulge rubs her, she can feel her own sex moistening from so much arousal…  _‘Nice and Slow’_ by Usher

 _‘…Now you got it hot for me already baby…’_   After a couple more gyrations he stands all the way up and pulls her with him.   She starts to run her hands over his chest but he moves them to his neck.  Gripping her waist, he grinds their hips together.  Eventually she responds by moving her hips on her own moving to the music.  “That’s it baby…” he whispers in a husky tone as he gently removes the mask from her face, careful not to scratch her skin.  Gingerly he runs his fingers along her collar bone, around to the back of her neck, “…it’s time for the real show…” and slowly pulls on the ribbon of the blindfold until it releases and slips off her face… 

She opens her eyes.  _Gasp!_   “Oh my god!” she moves back a foot and clamps her hand over her mouth.  “Natsu!”

“Lucy!” he backs away as his heart starts thumping.  “Fuck, this is messed up…” his voice trailing off.

Not remembering the chair was right behind her, it hits the back of her knees and she falls backwards onto it.  “I-I can’t believe it was you this whole time.”  Her face is turning bright red so she buries it in her hands.

“I swear I didn’t know you were the birthday girl either…”  He exhales trying to calm his racing heartbeat; he kneels in front of her, “I was just hired to do a party, but all they told me was she’d be wearing a tiara and a mask.”  He manages to take hold of one of her hands and moves it away from her face.  “Are you okay?  He squeezes her hand.  “Do you want me to leave?”

“No, you don’t have to leave.  I’m sorry, I’m just embarrassed…”

“Why are you embarrassed?  I‘m the one standing in only my underwear in front of the girl I crushed on all through high school.”

She looks at him, “What did you just say?”

“About my underwear?”

“No, about a crush?!”

And that’s when the confident stripper persona goes right out the window.  _‘Shit!’_   He nervously runs his hand through his hair, “You heard me right.  I have” he quickly corrects himself “had a crush on you in high school.”  Now his cheeks are turning red. 

“Have?”

 _Sigh,_ “Damn.  If I had known it was going to be you I don’t think I could have performed.  Okay so yes, I still have a crush on you Luce.” 

“You were one of my best friends Natsu, but after high school you took off without even saying goodbye to me.”

“It was getting too hard for me to be around you if you didn’t want me _that way_ , so I….” He hangs his head

“Natsu...” her voice reflecting irritation

“…I tried to move on since I figured you’d never see me as more than just a friend.”

“And what, so did you move on?” the anger in her voice apparent.  “Do you have a girlfriend is that why you think this is all so messed up!” 

He looks back up, “No that’s not what…”

“Cause if that’s the case you can just leave!” she’s on the verge of tears.

He tries to grab her hand but she pulls it back.  “Luce I don’t have a girlfriend!  And… Fuck!” he rubs his face, “I couldn’t move on!  Cause every time I tried to date, I’d start talking about you or comparing them to you and they’d dump me!” he slumps back on his heels.  “I said this was messed up cause it’s bringing back all those friggin’ emotions I tried running away from!”

Stunned, she gets off the chair, drops to her knees in front of him, and hugs him tight. “I’m sorry… I had no idea I hurt you like that…”  She starts to cry. 

For a while he just stays there with his hands at his sides but soon he feels wet drops hitting his back, “Luce are you crying?” 

“No.” she tries to hide it but can’t hold back the sound of her sniffles.

 _Sigh,_ he wraps his arms around her too and squeezes.  “Luce, don’t cry.  Please, I hate it when your sad…”

“And on my birthday.” She half laughs, “of all days.”

Suddenly he feels herself being lifted up but she doesn’t break her hold on him.  Instead he carries her over to the couch and sits down, keeping her on his lap.

After a few minutes, she hears him whisper.  “Happy Birthday Lucy.”

It’s such absurd timing that it makes her laugh.  “Seriously!”  She sits back and stares at him.

Grinning, “Made you laugh didn’t it.”

She punches his arm.  “Same old Natsu.” 

“Oww.” He rubs the spot on his arm where she punched him.  “Same feisty Lucy!” 

“Apparently you liked the feisty Lucy…”

“Touche.”

“…and I loved the old Natsu…”

“Did you just say loved?!”

“Think about it, did you ever see me with a boyfriend at any point?”  he shakes his head.  “Baka!  That’s cause I was waiting for you!  I was waiting for you to friggin make a move!  Where was the confident stripper Natsu back then?!”

His eyes flash.  “Fine!  You want me to make a move?!”  he grabs her face and smashes his lips against hers.  Releasing her, “Happy now?”

“No.” she grabs his face and starts kissing him again.  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she presses her body firmly against his, demandingly pushing her pelvis against the bulge in his underwear.  All the bottled-up passion built up over the years explodes and ignites further when his hands grope lower.  “You really are…” she lightly moans, “…my fantasy come true…” She nibbles his neck… 

“Luce…”  he growls and grips her waist, “…as you are mine…”

“You still owe me a strip show…” she purrs next to his ear, “…or a birthday gift…”

He smirks, “Where’s your bedroom?”


	7. Her Silent Impression

**  
**The young man with salmon colored hair sat only half listening to what his icy friend was going on and on about.  Girl… blue hair… great swimmer… sweet… but clingy… second date next weekend…  Thursdays was supposed to be their unwind day.  Both friends only had one class on Fridays in the afternoon so they wouldn’t have to get up early and all he wanted to do tonight was relax.  Finals were coming up in a month and that meant cram time so for now, any chance he had to do it, he just wanted to chill.  His eyes roamed the club, mellow Thursday; the calm before the weekend storm that would flood this place. _Sigh_ , His friend pushes on his shoulder and brings him back from his drifting.  When is he ever gonna find a girlfriend, his friend wants to know.  It’s not for lack of options as he’d always been popular with the ladies but no one’s ever caused him to pause.  Just once he tried dating a girl, cropped white hair and sweet because of peer pressure.  But it didn’t last long when she realized he was never gonna look at her as more than just friends. 

After excusing himself and going to relieve the pressure in his bladder, he walks back towards the table shared with his friend.  Just great, he sees a blue haired girl is there.  His friend had said she was clingy, so did she come here to stalk him?  Almost ready to just leave, he realizes he left his wallet at the table and couldn’t just dig out.  Semi annoyed he’s not paying attention to where he’s walking and brushes up against someone.  But the strange thing is, it’s not even crowded in the room, plenty of space to avoid physical contact… unless that’s what you’re aiming to do.  He stops walking.

A trailing scent of strawberries and vanilla drift into his nostrils.  He turns to see who he bumped into but all he’s rewarded with is a glimpse of long, golden blonde hair swaying with each step the girl took and a flash of maybe a red top before she disappears past a crowd near the bar.  What was so intriguing about this girl?  Did she bump into him on purpose?  If that was the case it was strange to him.  Most of the girls who wanted his attention at least tried to talk, to pursue, but this one?  He looks around for a few more seconds before turning back to his original plan; grabbing his wallet and leaving the two budding love birds unsupervised.

 

The following Thursday he sits at the bar again, this time alone.  Apparently, his friend’s new girlfriend had a swim meet or something this night and if that was code for a make out session he didn’t really care.  He was happy his friend had found someone new since his last break up wasn’t on very good terms and it had left him a little icy cold.  He just hoped for his friend’s sake this latest squeeze wouldn’t end in the same way.

With his back to the room, he sips on his Spicy Bourbon while scrolling through the latest chapter of Tokyo Ghoul on the Managhere App.  Mid way into the story his nose is filled with the same strong scent of Strawberries and Vanilla.  Looking up and turning around, by the time he spotted her the blonde was quickly walking out of the exit doors.  He jumps off the stool and rushes for the exit, pushing the door open he sees her getting into the back of a Bentley limo.  It’s too late, he stands on the curb hanging his head but just as the car slowly passes by him, he hears the window rolls down just a bit, and just enough to let that now intoxicating scent waft out.  His head and eyes follow the car until it is out of sight.  Is his mind playing tricks on him, why would the girl put the window down, it made no sense… unless she knew he was watching her…

 

He had gone every Thursday even during Finals for a month hoping to see her again…  But that was the last time he saw her there.

~~~

Chicken, they called the young blonde, teasing her about running away.  But it had only been a dare that first time so why was it such a big deal if she just couldn’t go through with it?  She had seen him at the club before and thought he was cute so that when her friends started playing truth or dare that night, guess the dare they gave her…  She never told them, that the real thing that attracted her to the young man is how he didn’t gawk at the pretty girls at the club, she never saw him hitting on anyone, and even turned girls away… gorgeous girls trying to get his attention.  It intrigued her.  But the following Thursday it happened again.  She tried to pump herself up, make a move, so to speak but in the end her nerves got the best of her; hence the fleeting retreats. 

Her friends kept going to the club but she stayed away.  They told her how for the next month he’d show up sitting in a booth just watching the crowd.  Was he looking for her?  They didn’t know.  Until the final time they saw him, looking, well dejected.  Maybe he had been looking for her, maybe not.  But she wasn’t ready yet, not ready for a possible… rejection.  It was the one fear that kept her from having any boyfriends.  Many had tried, but all the stupid pickup lines just turned her off, made her wonder if there were any guys that would see her as more than boobs and body…

 

A couple of months later, the young blonde and her bookish best friend had been lounging at the colleges swimming pool.  While she lived off campus her friend still had access to the school facilities even during the summer time and just by coincidence she recognizes the blue haired girl and the black-haired friend of the young man lounging just two chairs over.  She eavesdrops on their conversation and learns how distraught the man was acting ever since, who he called the ‘blonde of strawberry and vanilla’ captured his attention.  He didn’t even get a good look at her, didn’t know who she was; how and why was he so enamored with her?  His friends thought it was all a little crazy, they even wondered if she was real since he’s never, ever been attracted to someone before.  But regardless of whether they believed she existed, they were starting to worry about how melancholy he had become.  She had to hold back the tears the longer she listened; never realizing, until now just how much she had affected the poor guy.  Her concerns of rejection no longer an issue, that’s when she decides the next time she sees him.....              

~~~

Three and half months had passed since that night outside of the Fairytail Nightclub.  Spring Semester had turned into Summer Break.  Summer Break had turned into Fall Semester.  He didn’t know who she was but those fleeting memories of her beautiful wispy blonde hair and that intoxicating fragrance…  Oh how ironic to not crush on any of the others that came around before her begging for his affections and the one girl who catches his attention is practically, a ghost ‘cause she sure as hell was haunting him.  Even his friends were worried.  He knew they didn’t believe she existed, but he didn’t care what they thought; he knew the truth.

First class of the semester, bright and early... 

Walking into World Civilizations II he takes a seat near the middle of the sizeable lecture hall and puts his head down waiting for the class to begin.  History wasn’t an interest of his but it was a required subject and at least of all the periods of history, ancient history was a little bit more fascinating to him than modern times; plus, he had heard this teacher wasn’t such a hard ass. 

10 more minutes to go, then 90 minutes to stay awake for.  The room slowly fills around him, as a pre-req class it’s bound to be full soon.

Someone bumps into his desk.  _Strawberries and Vanilla…_   He bolts to an upright position and spins around in his seat.  Staring straight back at him, from the seat directly behind is the biggest, brightest brown eyes he’s ever seen before.  She smiles sweetly at the young man whose green eyes flash with a sense of startled happiness; the color of his cheeks competing with his hair to see which could be a darker shade of pink.

He hears talking from the front of the room, maybe the teacher at the start of the lesson.  But the voice is drowned out by the sound of his thumping heat beat.  The only thing his mind can focus on is the blonde, she’s real and she’s right in front of him!  Today her hair is tied back in adorable low pigtails with loose tendrils framing the sides of her face.  Stylishly dressed in a blue and white collared halter crop top and matching skirt with cute frilled blue arm sleeves that attach at her elbows.    

A blush of her own graces her milky white skin and the longer the young man stares, the deeper that reddish flush becomes.  The cheekiest grin she’s even seen appears on the young man’s face; is it a sign?  Tentatively stretching her hand across the top of her desk with her palm facing up, hoping he’ll take a hold of it, she bites her lower lip…

Forgetting the fact that they are in the middle of a class session, instead of taking her hand he gets up and walks around his chair to stand beside her.  She looks up into his face with a mixture of confusion and reservation.  Had she been mistaken?  Did she misread the cues?  Her concerns are allayed when he kneels to her level. 

Freezing for a brief second when he reaches out and caresses her cheek, her startled reaction causes him to start pulling his hand back....  She stops his retreat by covering his hand with her own and leans into his gentle touch.  Letting out a sigh, her eyes close while heart rate triples and her skin flushes with an inner heat she’s never experienced before.  For the young man, mutual feelings and a new fire in his soul comes to the surface; he thinks, he’s finally found love…

After what seems like minutes but just seconds have gone by, she opens her eyes to see moisture gathered in his green eyes.  This tugs at her heart strings, has she really found someone so special?  A guy who is not afraid to show emotions?  She can’t help but tear up too at this magical exchange.

“The girl, man of my dreams...” they whisper at the exact same time.  He chuckles and grins

“Jinx!  We read each other’s minds.” she smiles and giggles to the young man

“Oh yeah?  Did you see this too?” he asks

“See what?  Mmph!” he pulls her face in for a passionate kiss. 

After pulling his lips away from hers, with their foreheads still touching, “So, did you?” he asks again.

“Yes,” she grins at him, “every night in my dreams…”


	8. Irezumi no ren'ai (Tattoo Love Affair)

When Natsu walked into The Dragon’s Den he was a bit nervous about getting his first tattoo.  His cousin Gajeel was one of the artists at the shop and would tease the young man that he couldn’t handle the pain, so to prove he could he agreed to let him put a small one on his bicep, an insignia from his favorite band.   As soon as you enter the place, drawings and photos of dragons cover the walls.  The owner, a man named Laxus Dreyar, had a fascination for the mythical creatures and it was Gajeel’s skill at creating beautiful renditions of these beasts in ink that landed him the job.

“Hey Levy.”  He leans over the reception counter smiling.

“Hi Natsu.  Are you here to see your cousin?”

“Yeah, he’s supposed to do a tattoo for me today.”

“Well, he should be just about done with his client.  Go on and head in the back, you know where his studio is.”

“Thanks Levy.”

 

As he reaches his cousins room he stops at the door when he realizes Gajeel is still working on someone.  He’s about to turn and leave when the client catches his full attention.  Lying on her stomach was a young topless, blonde female, with her head resting on her left arm, and her right one lying to her side.  Natsu blushes at the picturesque sight, the curve of her buxom mounds peeking out from under her body, the pale milky skin that looked so silky to the touch, the beautiful arch of her back down to a tiny waist… “Wow…” he whispers under his breath.  She’s only wearing short shorts and the lithe long toned legs, supple thighs, and voluptuous hips… A fire grows in his loins. 

She seemed to be so relaxed, even though the tattoo Gajeel was working on spanned from her shoulder blades all the way down to her waist.  From where he stands he can see a beautiful red dragon wrapped around a golden lion key.  As his eyes continue to drift over her figure he notices another tattoo on her right hand, the same symbol he was about to get on his shoulder!  “Whoa!” he squeaks out.  His heart starts pounding, _‘My dream girl…’_

Hearing the noise behind him, Gajeel turns his head and sees his cousin standing by the door.  “Oi, Natsu.  I’m almost done here, just go wait up front by Levy and I’ll come get you.”  The woman on the table, turns her head slightly to see who her artist is talking to and gives the young man a smile and a wink. 

He gulps, cheeks heating up further, “Sure man,” and quickly turns around sprinting to the front.

Seeing the pale young man rush back into the waiting room, Levy stops him.  “Hey.  Natsu are you alright?  Did something freak you out?”

He leans on the counter, “Levy, who’s Gajeel’s client right now?  The blonde getting the dragon tat?”

“Oh, you mean Lucy?  This is her second session to finish that back tattoo, Why?”

“She’s so…”

“Beautiful?”  the blue haired girl teases, “I used to get jealous of her in high school, she was so popular.  But once I got to know her she’s actually a really sweet person, tough, but yeah, nice.”

“Damn, she’d have to be tough to get that size of a tattoo on her.  She even has the same design on her hand that I was planning to get.”

“The Fairy symbol?  Oh, yeah she’s a big fan of the band Fairytail; she’s even got an autographed picture with them.”

“Wow…” he leans his head on his hand and relaxes against the counter, _Sigh_ , “I wonder if she’s single…”

“Who’s single?” Natsu stiffens and eyes go wide when he hears a female voice behind him.

Levy- “Oh Natsu here was just wondering if you…” He reaches over the counter and cups his hand over the blue-haired girls mouth.

“It’s nothing… I um… Hi!” he turns and sticks out his hand, “Names Natsu Dragneel, Gajeel’s cousin.” His nervous, ear to ear grin taking over his face.

Lucy smiles at him, “Nice to meet you Natsu.  I’m Lucy Heartfillia, Levy’s best friend.”

“That’s cool…” he tries to stay calm but runs his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture.  She stares at his flexing muscles and bites her lower lip; a move that doesn’t go unnoticed by Natsu.  “So that’s a really nice tat you’ve got on your back, and the one on your hand… Fairytail?”

“Oh,” she breaks out of her daydream, “Yeah it is!” her eyes light up, “You’ve heard of them?”

“Heard of them!  I love that band!”

“That’s the symbol he was getting tattooed today.”  Gajeel walks up behind them, “If he can handle the pain.” He snickers

“ _Tch_ , I can handle it!” Natsu snaps back

Lucy- “You’re getting one too?!  Where?”

Natsu- “I was thinking in red, here on my arm.” He pats his right bicep.

Lucy’s eye sparkle, “I can’t wait to see it!”  She watches his adam’s apple bob, he was so close to chickening out, now he’s got no choice but to go through with it! 

“Gehe, Lucy, maybe you could stay and hold his hand.”  Gajeel taunts his cousin.  “He might need the support.”

“I don’t…”

“I’d be happy to… If you’d like, Natsu?”

Natsu’s mouth drops, “Um, sure, that’s fine with me.”

Gajeel slaps his cousin’s back, “Well, I’ve got my station set up, so come on back when you’re done gawking over Lucy.” And walks away.  Both Natsu and Lucy blush while Levy chuckles. 

Lucy- “Natsu, why don’t you head to his room so he can prep your arm, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“S-sure.”  He stammers and heads off to the back.

As soon as she’s sure he’s gone, Lucy puts her hands on her hips, “Alright Lev, so spill it, what happened before I walked out here??”

“What do you mean?” acting all innocent

“Was he asking you about me?”

“Maybe…”

“Levy!”

“Okay, okay, yes!”

“And!”  Lucy gestures with her hands to say, _‘come on, what else!’_

“He thinks you’re beautiful, loves your tattoo, was excited cause you like the same band as him, and he asked if you were single…”

“He thinks I’m beautiful?” Lucy flushes pink in the cheeks

Levy giggles, “Oh girl, don’t tell me you’re falling for him too!” 

“He is kinda cute, seems sweet too…”

“Natsu’s a bit of a goof ball, but yeah he’s a nice guy, cares a lot about his family and friends.”

“Well…” she smiles, “…let me go see how he’s doing…”

 

Before she reaches the door, she can hear the whine of the tattoo gun. Stepping through the entrance she can immediately see the pink haired boy cringing.  A little amused, she leans against the jamb just observing until she can no longer hold back her giggles alerting him to her presence.

“It’s not funny… Luce!” he whines through gritted teeth.  “Vibration, reminding me… of motion sickness.”  Gajeel stops the gun for a moment.

“Gehe, and this pansy, gets it bad sometimes.” He laughs before resuming his work.

“Shut up… metal… head!  You just… like torturing me!”

“I didn’t make you do this.” His cousin retorts

Lucy walks over to the table and sits next to Natsu’s left side taking hold of his hand.  “It’s okay Natsu, my first time wasn’t easy either.”  She smiles at him.  “Try to think of something that makes you feel better.”  But he just closes his eyes and winces.

“Ugh you are too nice to him Lucy.  He need to be a man and suck it up.”

“I’m ignoring you Gajeel.”  Softening her tone, “Natsu look at me.”  He turns his head slightly and opens his eyes to see her bright chocolate ones staring so intently at him.  She rubs the top of his hand with her thumb, “your green eyes are quite entrancing…” he blushes.  “You must have a lot of girls trying to get your attention.”

Gajeel starts to snicker, “He wouldn’t know what to do with them.”

“Shut up!” Natsu snaps at his cousin, “I would… If I just found the right one…”

 _‘The right one?’_   Lucy turns his chin back to her.  “I’m sure you’d do fine.  Tell me Natsu, how old are you?”

“22”

“So, you’re 1 year older than me.  And what do you like to do for fun?”    

“My best friend Gray and I like to play video games or watch movies, hang out with our group of friends, stuff like that.” 

“Do you go to school or work?”

“I’m in my 3rd year of college and I work part time at my dad’s comic book store.”  He grins, “I’m majoring in chemical engineering.”

“Not bad Natsu.  I’m going for an MBA and Creative Writing.”

“Whoa!  Two majors… You must be really smart!”

She blushes, “It’s not easy but I love the writing classes.”

Her smiling eyes and caring nature has such a calming effect that the sounds and sensations of the gun don’t even register anymore.

“So, you said you like Fairytail?”

“Yeah!”  his voice perks up even more.  “I love their music!”

“I got to meet them after a show.  The lead singer Mira is such a sweet heart, she…”

“Levy said you got an autographed pic, but you actually hung out with them?!  I’m so jealous…”

She giggles, making Natsu melt.  “Yeah.  I even helped Laxus meet her when I found out he had a huge crush.  They’ve been dating ever since.  I can introduce you one day.”

“Wow…  You are so amazing Luce!”

“Luce?” she giggles again.  “Is that your new nickname for me?”

He blushes and breaks into his nervous grin again.  “Sorry… If you don’t like it…”

“No,” she blushes back, “I kinda like it.”       

 _‘Fuck she’s adorable!’_   “C-could I ask you something.”  His voice grows timid

“Of course,” she smiles, but when her eyes brighten he almost loses his train of thought.

“D-did you know you have the brightest chocolate colored eyes I’ve ever seen?  You must’a had a lot of boyfriends…”

“You really think so?” her cheeks flush.  “But no, I’ve actually never had one before.”

“I don’t believe you?”

“I swear it’s true.  Maybe I’m like you… I’m waiting for the right one…” she stares at him with a longingness that even he can figure out.  He turns red and turns away for a moment to try and still his racing heart.

This interaction carries on for the next 2 and a half hours…

“Oi, you’re all done.”

“Huh?”  Natsu looks at Gajeel then down at his arm.  “I didn’t even notice…”

“Guess Lucy was a good distraction for you, gehe.”

She stands up and walks around to the other side of Natsu.  “Looks great…” she leans over inspecting the tattoo.  “You did a good job Gajeel.”

“Hey, I always do an awesome job!”

“I know, I was just teasing.”  “How you feeling Natsu?” she asks but he just stares at her with a dreamy look.  “Natsu?  Are you okay?”  She waves her hand in front of his face.

“Are you an angel?”  he finally stammers 

She laughs, “Not the last time I checked.”

“No, you must be…  I-I didn’t feel the pain…  I didn’t feel sick…  How?  Unless you were sent to me from the Heavens.” 

“Oh brother,” Gajeel rolls his eyes.  “I’ll leave you two alone.”  And walks out.

Lucy’s face lights up, “That’s gotta be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me…”  she kisses his cheek.

He touches the spot she kissed, “W-what was that f-for?”

“Don’t know, just felt like doing it.”  She looks down, “Did you not like it?”

“No, I loved it!” he reaches over and lifts her chin, “I was just surprised that’s all; it was great…”  his voice trails off again, her face keeps mesmerizing him.

Her cheeks are flushing pink, “Natsu could I ask you something personal?”

“Uh-huh...”

“Do you believe in love at first sight?”

He cocks his head to the side blushing red, “Is that what you call how I’m feeling?”


	9. A Part of You

**(NaLu Week Intertwined Prompt- 7/7/17)**

 

 _‘Senior year’_ The 18-year-old girl sighs to herself on the first day of school.  Walking into the cafeteria she spots her friend’s Levy and Cana and plops down with them.

Cana- “Did you hear, that boy Natsu needs a kidney transplant.”

Lucy is concerned but doesn’t show it, “He’s kind of young to need that.”

Levy- “Apparently his family went on vacation over the summer and he contracted a really serious case of E. coli that damaged his kidneys.”

Cana- “Wow, that’s major.  Poor guy.”

Levy- “They are asking any students that want to volunteer to be tested as a match to go to the health room after school tomorrow.  There’s a consent form you can fill out before you go.”

Lucy- “Are either of you guys going?”

Cana- “No…”

Levy- “Probably not…  Are you?”

Lucy- “I don’t know, maybe.”

Cana- “You don’t even know the guy, why do you care?”

Lucy- “I feel bad for him, and his family.  I probably won’t be a match anyways.”

~~~

As soon as she walks up to the health room with the paper clutched in her hand, she sees a table outside of the doors manned by a nurse with a sign reading, _‘Must be 18, O-Negative or A-Positive Donors only’_.  She looks at her paper, _‘A-Positive.’_   With hesitation in her voice, “Excuse me, I’d like to be tested please.”

“Hand me your consent form young lady.”  Lucy gives the nurse the paper.  “Ah, yes, you’re old enough, and A-Positive, same as the patient.  Please follow me.”  Inside the room.  “Have a seat,” the nurse points at an open chair, “This will be quick, all I need to do is take some blood so we can run some tests but before I do, I need to make sure you understand what you might be getting yourself into.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if you happen to be a match, and decide to go through with the living donor transplant, it will be major surgery.  While the recipient’s medical will cover the cost of the surgery you may have other out of pocket expenses that may not be covered.  Though… in this man’s case we are still unsure if the family will be able to cover the cost of a surgery.”

“Don’t worry about that…” the girl whispers, “money is not an issue for me or the family.”

The nurse raises an eyebrow and looks back to the girl’s form.  “I see… Ms. Heartfillia.  Well in that case, let’s just get this part over with so you can be on your way.”  The nurse starts to draw the blood from Lucy’s arm and talks to keep the girl occupied.  “You’ll hear back within a week if you are a match.”

“I-If I do end up a match, will he find out?”

“Only if you give permission for him to be told.”

“O-Oh kay.”

Placing a band-aid over the needle mark she pats Lucy’s arm, “You’re all done.”

“Thank you,” Lucy gathers her school bag and goes home.

~~~

Four days later she receives a call from the hospital late in the afternoon.  _“Hello Ms. Heartfillia?”_

“Yes, this is she.”

_“We are calling with the results of the donor test.”_

“Okay…”

_“You are a perfect match, you’re blood types are the same, all your levels are normal.  We believe you would be the best candidate if you wish to proceed as a living donor.”_

Lucy’s sits down on her bed, “So what now?”

_“Well, we need you to come down to the hospital to fill out some paperwork, you’ll also sit with a psychologist because we want to make sure you are really okay with this.”_

“Um, how long will the procedure take?”

_“The surgery itself is about 2-3 hours but you’ll be in the hospital for a couple days before it so we can prepare you, runs tests, things like that.  And then afterwards the recovery time is about 4 to 6 weeks.”_

“That long… I’ll have to make arrangements with school to make up for that time.”

_“I’m sure they’d be understanding.”_

Within the following couple of days, Lucy takes care of all the paperwork with the hospital and makes the arrangements with the school.  Any assignments she needs to complete will be delivered to her while she recovers and the only people who knows what is going on is her best friends Levy and Cana; besides, she doubts the other students will even notice her absence.  

 

The surgery goes smoothly…

~~~

A week and a half later, Gray is visiting his best friend in the hospital.  “Hey man, how you doing?”

“Still really sore, but the doctors say I’ll make a full recovery.”

“That’s awesome!”

“Yeah…” he sighs

“What’s wrong, something bothering you?”

“It’s… nothing.”

“Seems like you got something on your mind.”

“I just… I wish I knew who the donor was, and even more, someone covered the entire medical bill so my parents didn’t even have to worry about insurance.”

“Woah, seriously?  Do you know someone rich or something?”

“I don’t think so.  And all the hospital will tell me is the donor’s a girl our age.”

“Hmm.” Gray taps his chin, “You know there is a girl at school who went absent at exactly the same time you did and she’s still out.”

“Really!” Natsu perks up.  “Who is she??”

“Remember the quiet blonde that hangs out with Cana?”

Natsu tries to picture the girl, “Not really.”

“She’s pretty but seems really shy.”

“What’s her name?”

“Lucy Heartfillia.”

“Wait, the rich girl!  It’s gotta be her!  I mean the pieces fit, absent just like me, and she’s got the money to cover this kind of surgery…  But why would she do all this for me, I don’t even know her.”

“Maybe she’s just nice like that?”

“No way, there’s gotta be more to it and since I’m stuck here, Gray you’ve gotta try and find out more info for me.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“I don’t know, but I bet her friends know what’s going on…”

“Alright, I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Thanks man, and text me a pic of her if you can.”

“I’ll try.”

~~~

The next day in school, Gray searches out and finds Levy in the library.  “Excuse me Levy?”

“Yeah?  Are you talking to me?”

“I don’t see any other Levy’s in here.”

“Why are you talking to me?”

“I was just wondering, where’s the blonde girl you hang around with?  Haven’t seen her for almost a month now.”

“Oh, um, Lucy well she’s, um away…”

He raises an eyebrow, “Away?”

“Yeah, she needed to take care of something…”

“Or someone?”

“What do you mean someone?  S-she’s…”

“Oh geez, you’re a terrible liar.  She’s the one who saved my friends life isn’t she?”

Levy starts to panic, “N-no, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Levy, please he really wants to know who did this for him.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why?  Why wouldn’t he want to know who did something so special for him.”

“It’s not like he paid any attention to her before.” She mutters under her breath

“I knew it!  Lucy has a crush on Natsu doesn’t she, I mean why else help a total stranger.”

“Lu is a caring person, she just wanted to help.”

“Picking up the tab at lunch is being nice, Levy this is more than just being nice.”

 _Sigh_ , “She’s gonna kill me if she finds out I told on her…”

“I promise I won’t tell.”

“Alright yes, she’s had a crush on him since elementary school.”

“When does she come back to school?”

“I think in maybe three weeks… Why?”

“Just wondering.  Oh, do you have a recent of picture of her?”

“Yeah, on my phone.”

“Could you send it to me?” 

She sends him a pic. “Gray please don’t tell anyone you know what’s going on, only me, Cana, and the Principal know the whole story.”

“I sweat, I won’t say a word.”

~~~

Right after school Gray goes straight to the hospital.  “Here you go man.” He hands Natsu his phone, “This is her.”

Holding it up he just stares, “She is really pretty… How’d I not notice her before?”

“Maybe cause your blind to the opposite sex, I mean how often do I ever see you checking out girls?  Almost never that’s what.  Hell, there was a time I wondered if you were straight.”

“Shut up!”

“ _Tch_ , well the answer to your question is yes, it is her, she’s the donor, she paid for all of this and it’s because she likes you.”

Natsu sits back in shock, “I don’t even know how to react…”

“I only dropped by to show you the picture.  But I gotta get to my homework so I’ll catch you later man.  Have fun thinking about her.”  Gray snickers and turns to leave.

“Wait, text me that pic!”

“Right, sorry; here you go.”  Natsu hears the ping on his phone.  “See ya.” Gray waves walking out the door.

“See ya…”  he looks at his phone and brings up the picture of Lucy smiling and posing with Cana at the beach.  “She really is the full package…” he starts blushing to himself.  _‘Beautiful, caring…  I’ve gotta meet this girl!’_

~~~

3 weeks later Natsu has been released from the hospital, and Gray is over at his house to hang out and keep him company. 

“Have you heard if Lucy was discharged already?”

“According to Levy, she’s been home a few days, bout the same time as you.”

“Do you think Levy would help me meet Lucy?”

“What do you plan to do, just show up at her house?”

“I don’t know!  It’s just I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her ever since I found out.  I need to meet her Gray.  But yeah, I don’t wanna just show up, so maybe if Levy helps…”

“If you wanna ask Levy yourself I’ll give you her number.”

“Why do you have that?”

“Cause, she texted me the photo of Lucy.”

“Yeah give it to me.  No, better yet, you call her and then I’ll talk, she might not answer a number she doesn’t recognize.”

“Fine.” Gray dials.  “Levy?  Yeah its Gray we need to ask you something.” Then hands Natsu the phone.

“Hi Levy, it’s Natsu”

_‘Natsu!?  Why are you calling me?’_

“I..” exhale “I need to meet her Levy please.  Will you help me?”  Silence on the other end, he looks to see if the call is still running, “Levy are you there?”

_‘Natsu I don’t know…’_

“Please???!!  I can’t stop thinking about her!”

Now Levy’s protective side kicks in, _‘Why is it so important to you Natsu, it’s not like you noticed her before.  Okay I get it that maybe you wanna tell your benefactor thank you but…’_

He cuts her off, “That’s not the only reason.  Yes, I wanna tell her thank you but… Levy I think I’m falling for her.” 

_‘I don’t believe you.’_

Gray- “Neither do I.”

“I swear!”

_‘From what, one picture?  Yeah that’s pretty hard to believe Natsu.’_

“Levy… Please…” he sighs, “She’s all I can think about…”

_After a long pause, ‘Alright…’_

“Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank…”

_‘I swear Natsu, if you hurt her…’_

“Why would I do that???”

 _Sigh,_ _‘Come to her house tomorrow afternoon around 4, that’s when I was going to visit her.  What’s your number, I’ll text you the address...’_

~~~

Virgo opens the door, “Hello Levy, Lucy is waiting for you in the living room.”

“How is she feeling today?”

“Still a little sore and tired but for the most part she’s doing great.”  Virgo looks past her and see’s Gray and Natsu standing there, “You brought guests?”

“Shh, it’s a surprise for Lucy.”

Excitement in her voice, “Is that the young man?”

“Yeah, Virgo, that’s him.” Levy looks at Natsu, “His friend just drove him since he’s still weak too.”

“He’s handsome,” Virgo whispers to Levy and motions for them to come inside.

Natsu is dumbfounded at the size the house, no, mansion that Lucy lives in.  He had already done a bit of research on the girl so that he didn’t say something wrong and learned how her mom had passed away when she was around 4 and her dad while she was in intermediate school.  She was left in the care of her guardians until she could take over the family company.  According to Levy, it was after her father died that Lucy shied away from people, only sticking to her closest friends.  He figured that was one reason he may not have noticed her before.  He used to be active with sports and clubs but if she didn’t attend anything, they would never have run into each other.

“Lucy?”

“I’m in here Lev.”

Walking and talking, “Okay don’t be mad but I have someone that begged me to meet you.”

Lucy turns in her seat, her eyes growing wider by the second, “Levy why?  I told you…”

Levy kneels in front of her friend, “Lu, he wanted to meet you and after some convincing, I agreed.”  She stands up and motions to the two boys.  Gray helps Natsu slowly walk over to the couch Lucy is on and helps him to sit.  “We’ll be in the kitchen Lu,” Levy pulling Gray out with her.

Lucy turns her head away embarrassed, “What are you doing here Natsu?”

“I wanted to see how you are doing.”

“Why?”

“Because, Luce I know you were the one who did all this for me.”

“No, I…”

He takes her hand gingerly, “I figured it out.  They told me it was a girl my age, you were absent the same time as me, and you can afford to do what you did…”

“This was supposed to be anonymous…”

“But Lucy, why would you do something like this for someone you really didn’t know?”

“I felt bad for you and your family… I mean what good is all this money if it doesn’t go to good use?”

“I don’t think that’s the only reason.”  She looks at him confused.  “If that’s how you felt the money would make sense, but Luce you gave up one of your kidneys for me, that’s a part of your body… Why?”

“It… I thought… it was the right thing to do…” she stammers

He stares into her eyes with a softened expression.  “Or… is it because you might have feelings for me?” he whispers.

Lucy’s face flushes red, “N-no, I-I j-just wanted to help…” she looks away again.

He turns her chin back to him but she shuts her eyes, too embarrassed to open them.  “Lucy I’ll admit I didn’t really remember you when I found out all this.  But then three week ago in the hospital, Gray brought me a picture of you and something happened.”  He caresses her cheek, “Please look at me Luce…”

She shakes her head and keeps her eyes closed tight, “What happened?”

“I’ll tell you if you open your eyes,” he speaks soft and sweetly to her.  She shakes her head again.  “Then I’ll need to do this another way.”  He kisses her on the lips.  When her eyes pop open he releases her and smiles.

“Why’d you kiss me!”

“Lucy, what happened in the last few weeks, is I fell in love with the girl in the photo.” Her eyes moisten.  “I fell in love with the caring person who gave up a part of herself to save a stranger.  I fell in love with the special, shy girl who despite her own sad past, still loves people so very much.  And yes, I fell in love with the gorgeous girl smiling back at me from that photo with the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen.” A tear falls down her cheek.

“Y-you fell in love?”  he nods.  “With me?” he nods again.  “That seems crazy…” she mutters

He laughs, “No more crazy than a girl who gave up an organ for a stranger, unless…” he looks deeply at her again, “I was right about your feelings for me.  So, which is it, crazy or…”

 _Sigh,_ “Yes… Your right Natsu.” She sighs again.  “I’m in love with you too…” her voice barely a whisper.

He caresses her cheek again, “That makes me the luckiest guy in the world.”

“Why?”  she looks confused.

He grins again, “How many people can say that the person they love will always be a part of them,” he pat’s his side, “and it actually be true?”  

The comment is so from left field that Lucy starts to giggle, “You’re so weird!”

He leans his forehead to hers, “Yeah,” he caresses her cheek, “but now you’re stuck with this goof…”  As they start to kiss again, their friends snicker from the doorway.  

Levy- “I think our work is done for now.”

Virgo startles them from behind, “What’s his parents number?  Maybe he can stay the night.”

Gray- “Something tells me they won’t mind…I mean she did save his life…”


	10. Dancing in the Mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on the song 'Shower' by Becky G

_‘I found a man I can trust, and boy, I believe in us.  I am terrified to love for the first time.  Can’t you see that I’m bound in chains?  I finally found my way… I am bound to you… I am bound to you…’_ It’s 7pm on a Saturday night, on Magnolia University’s campus and Lucy is relaxing in her dorm room listening to music when her phone rings. 

“Hey Natsu, what’s up?”

“Lambda Fairy Psi is having a party tonight.”

“Oh yeah, what time?”

“Starts about 9pm, wanna go?  All Gray, Erza them are going.”

“Sure Natsu, Levy mentioned she and Gajeel were gonna go too.  Come get me on your way and we can walk over.”

“Do you want me to text you, to let you know I’m getting close to your dorm?”

“Nah, I’ll just leave my door cracked for you.”

“Cool, see you soon Luce.”

 

Lucy sets to work on getting ready for the party, it’s a big deal for her to try and look cute whenever she knows Natsu is gonna be around.  The two of them have been close friends for almost 4 years now and while their friends often comment or tease about their relationship, the pair have never crossed the friendship line.  Neither have had much success in dating others, and the times they try their friendship gets in the way.  His dates will get mad when they see her photo pop up as his phone’s lock screen or her name will come up too often in their conversations; her dates will get mad cause he’s over at her place every time they call or he happens to pop up wherever they are, etc, etc.  The truth is Lucy is madly in love with her best friend but since he’s never tried to ask her out, or made any kind of advances on her she figures he just didn’t look at her in that way.  So, for the last 3 years she kept it to herself, happy to have him any way she can get him.  

 _‘Maybe one day he’ll finally see me…’_  she sighs at the mirror.  Knowing his favorite color is red and black, she chooses an outfit that she’s sure he’ll notice.  The red ruffled skirt is a little short but she likes how it shows off her toned legs and the top is a black tube top that shows her midriff.  With a light amount of makeup and black 3inch heels she’s ready.

While she waits for Natsu she cranks up her music, goofing around and dancing to the beats.  _‘Shower by Becky G’_ comes on, a song she loves because it makes her think of him.  “This is my jam!  Come on Natsu!” she grabs a stuffed dragon doll he won her at a fair, “Let’s dance!”  Clutching it to her chest she starts bopping around the room like a goof, singing to the song at the top of her lungs.  “…it’s just something about ya.  Got me feeling like I can’t be without ya.  Anytime someone mentions your name, I be feeling as if I’m around ya…” 

At that moment Natsu walks up and hears her singing in her room.  He grins and silently creeps in standing with his back against the jamb watching her, he chuckles in his head.  _‘She’s so adorable!’_  

Holding the doll out she sings to it, “Can you tell that you drive me crazy?  ‘Cause I can’t get you out my mind.  Thinkin; of ya when I’m goin’ to bed.  When I wake up think of ya again.  You are my homie, dreamlover and friend…” Lucy kisses the doll and clutches him against her chest.  “Exactly why, you light me up inside, like the 4th of July.  Whenever your around, I always seem to smile and people ask me how well you’re the reason why I’m, dancing in the mirror and singing in the shower…”

A slight blush falls over the young man’s cheeks as he watches his crush acting so silly.  It’s one the first things that attracted him to her, of course it didn’t help the girl was stunning too.  He remembers it just like yesterday, Lucy had just transferred into Magnolia High and through his friend Levy, she was brought into their group.  She fit in perfectly; sweet, fun, and smart too, like the perfect girl.  But he had overheard her telling Levy something one day that kept him from making a move, so instead he decided to try and be her closest friend.               

“…They ain’t no guarantee, but I’ll take a chance on we.  Baby let’s take our time, and when the times get rough, there ain’t no given up.  ‘Cause it just feels so right, don’t’ care what others say.  If I got you I’m stray…” She’s got the doll held out again making it dance with her.  “…You bring my heart to life yeah!  You light me up inside, like the fourth of July.  Whenever your around, I always seem to smile.  And people ask me how, well you’re the reason why, I’m dancing in the mirror and singing in the shower.”

Now that the song is ending Natsu straightens ready to make his presence known when… Lucy plops on her bed hugging the doll.  “This song is exactly how I feel…  _sigh_ … Natsu, I wish you knew just how much I love you...”  She holds the doll in front of her and asks it a question, “But I don’t think he sees me as girlfriend material…  I mean wouldn’t he have asked me out by now?”  The doll just stares blankly at her.  “You’re right, maybe one day…”  She feels the bed sink behind her and warm arms wrapping around her. 

“Lucy…”

Her whole body stiffen, “Natsu!  H-how long have you been here?”

“Awhile…”

“Did you h-hear…”

“I heard everything Luce.”  He feels her temperature spike.  “I wish I knew you felt the same way I did…”

She tries to turn around but he holds her tight, “The…  Same way?”

“All these years…  But I never asked you out because you told Levy you didn’t want to date anyone in the group.”

“When did I say that?”

“It was not long after you starting hanging out with us.”

She thinks back, “Oh… Damn…” she hangs her head.  “I was the new girl and didn’t want to just start dating guys because I didn’t want to look like one of _those_ girls, you know the loose kind … But now I feel like an idiot.”

Natsu lets her go and moves around the bed to face her.  “Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing Luce.”  He grabs her hands, “Instead of rushing into a relationship we built a friendship first, got to know each other better, and grew closer than most couples…”

She stares into his green eyes with a twinkle, “You think so?”

He nods, grinning his cheeky smile, “So, will you be my girl Luce?”  Singing, “‘Cause you know you light me up inside like the fourth of July.  Whenever your around, I always seem to smile.  And people ask me how, well you’re the reason why…”

“You are such a goof Natsu!” she tackles him on her bed.  _Sigh_ , “But I love you anyways.”

He flips her over, “Goof?  Says the girl who was just dancing like a weirdo with her doll…  But it’s what I love about ya too…” leaning in for a kiss…


	11. A Chance Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of all days for a storm to roll in when the young blonde is not prepared for it. But luckily a bus stop and a nice guy make it all worth while...

Ominous looking black clouds gather above the young blonde as she walks towards her apartment still 4 blocks away.  She sighs, of all days for it to rain right after she had her hair done, hadn’t brought an umbrella ‘cause the weather man said it would be nice out, and to top it all off she was in heels so she couldn’t run as quickly.  If it was a light rain, maybe it won’t be so bad she hopes… and that’s when she hears it in the distance.

The winds pick up, blowing her hair over her face accompanied by a low rumbling sound that seems to be getting louder… and louder… She turns, eyes widening _‘Shit!’_ as a wall of water is spreading over the streets behind her.  Seconds is all she has before this barrage of liquid will reach her so she frantically searches for cover, anything to ride out the deluge but the only thing close enough is a bus stop. 

Luckily for the girl, it’s covered and walled on 3 sides, _‘better than nothing.’_   She races for the structure as the large droplets of water begin their decent on her.  “Kyaah!” Covering her head with her shopping bag it works just enough to shield her head but in her panic, she’s barely watching where she is going and runs smack into something.

“Omph!”  The initial crash causes her to back-peddle and the slippery surface of the concrete conspires against her heels.  The young blonde feels her legs give out from under her and she braces for the fall, eyes closing on instinct…

A hand grabs her wrist and yanks her up just in time, pulling her back to her feet.  _‘Huh?’_   She opens her eyes to see who it was and staring back at her is a young man, a rather good-looking one at that... 

“Are you okay?” He smiles at her with one of the biggest grins she’s seen as he helps her get settled under the small roof.  The bus stop is only about 5 feet long, 4 feet deep; one side is completely open but the other 3 walls go all the way to the ground providing them enough cover, as long as the rain didn’t decide to blow sideways.  He prompts the girl as far back and as far away from the open front as he can onto a bench.

“What?” she inquires though the deafening sound of the rain. “It’s hard to hear anything.”

Sitting down next to her, but with a couple of feet between them, “I said are you okay,” he repeats himself a little louder.

“Oh…” she blushes a little.  “Yes, thanks to you.”

“You’re welcome.”  He smiles again. 

And that’s when she realizes the thing she ran into was probably this young man.  Her hands fly up to her mouth, “Oh my gosh!  Was it you I ran into?  I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t worry about it.” He runs his hand through his hair.  “Not such a bad thing to be hit by a pretty girl.” But that last part was mumbled and she didn’t quite make it out.

“Sorry, what was that last part?  I couldn’t hear you.”

“N-nothing.  Just don’t worry, I’m fine.”

“Oh… Okay.  Well, um, my names Lucy, and you are?”

“Natsu.” His green eyes flash for a moment catching her attention.

“It’s nice to meet you Natsu.”

“Likewise.”

 

Lucy takes the next few minutes to smooth her hair back down and straighten out her clothes that may have shifted in her hasty retreat.  She checks over her belongings and once she sees that her phone did not get drenched she lets out an exhale of relief.  It would be such a nightmare if that thing broke.  It was her life line to her assistant and without that person keeping the writer on track, she’s prone to forgetting appointments and other public engagements; especially when she’s working on another book. 

A silence develops between the two strangers drowned out by the constant volley of liquid pounding around them.  She couldn’t believe that she was stuck here though at least she wasn’t alone and the company was nice…  Attractive would be a better word.  Using the periphery of her vision she takes in as much details as she can, and to a writer that’s always paying attention, is a lot. 

Pink spiky hair, unusual for a guy but it seems to fit him.  Alluring, bright emerald green eyes that when he smiled seem so warm and inviting.  He had on a simple black t-shirt, a little on the tighter side but who was complaining, blue jeans, and dark tennis shoes; for the most part, very casual and relaxed looking.  Now we can’t forget body type, this guy looks like he must work out.  Toned and not overly muscular upper body and legs, plus she can tell because of the fit of the shirt, he’s probably got a 6-pack under there.  A little taller than she was which was a perfect height in her opinion, and he looked to be close to her age, maybe a year or two older at the most.  Best of all, no ring on his finger…

“So…” he musters, the need for some form of noise other than the rain.  “Where were you heading before the storm hit?”

“Me, um my apartment… it’s just a couple more blocks away.”

“Yeah, I was on my way to my friend’s place, he lives on Strawberry.”

“Really!  I’m gonna guess it’s not a house since it’s just apartment buildings on that street.”

“Uh-huh, I never remember the address numbers but it’s the building with a café downstairs called Fairytail.”

“No way!  I live in that one too!  What’s your friends name?”

“Gray Fullbuster.”

Lucy ponders for a minute if that name rings a bell.  She only knew a handful of the tenants but she thinks her friend Juvia may have mentioned that name.  “Does he have a girlfriend that lives in the building?  Blue hair, kinda clingy but sweet?”

“Sounds like you’re describing Juvia.  They aren’t officially a couple but she’s been trying hard to change that.  Wow, that’s so crazy how small this world is!”

“And where do you live Natsu?”

“Couple blocks that way,” he points, “On Magnolia.”

“It’s nice you guys live close to each other.”

“Yeah.” Running his hand through his hair again.  She notes it must be a nervous habit.  “Tried being roommates but we get into too many fights.”

Lucy chuckles, “You guys are friends but you fight?”

“Yup,” grinning.  “Like fire and ice.  It’s kinda funny how our personalities are so incompatible yet we’ve always have each other’s backs since we were kids.”

“If I remember Juvia correctly, he lives on the 2nd floor?”

“Uh-huh.  Where’s your place?”

“Oh… it’s the, um Penthouse.”

“Penthouse?”  his eyes widen, _‘Is this girl rich or something cause that’s expensive apartments!’_  

Lucy turns her head, she doesn’t like telling people she comes from money, “Yeah, my dad got it for me as an 18th birthday gift but I pay all the expenses myself.”

Realizing that she seemed embarrassed by this topic he softens his tone, “What do you do for a living?”

Surprised by his calm expression, Lucy relaxes again.  Often times when men learn such details about her they see dollar signs, “I write fiction novels.”

“Oh yeah,” excitement in his voice.  “I’m not much of a reader myself but my sister is.”

“Have you heard of Lucy Ashley?”

“Lucy… Ashley…” he taps his chin.  “Rings a bell.  I know her favorite series is something about a girl and stars who fights bad guys with her friends…”

Lucy smiles with a sparkle in her eyes, “My Golden Key series.  That’s her favorite?”

“Oh, geez yes, she’s got all of the books and is dying for the next one to come out!  Damn, she’s gonna die when I tell her I’ve met the author!” 

She waves her hand, “I’ll do you better, how about signed copies for her?  Especially since you saved me from falling, it’s the least I could do.”

“You’d do that for me?!  I mean yeah okay I helped a pretty girl from taking a nasty tumble but still, we barely know each other.”

Lucy bushes, “You think I’m pretty?”

All the color leaves his face, _‘Crap I said it out loud!’_   His nervous habit kicks in, “I-I do…  But I’m sure lots of guys have told you that…”

She shrugs her shoulders and takes ahold of the hand he keeps running through his hair, “but I’ll admit I think you’re handsome too.”

Natsu’s face turns red, “Nah, I’m just an average guy.  Y-you’ve probably been around better-looking guys…”

“None that have been as charming though,” she tightens her grip on his hand, “to save a damsel in distress.”

If his face could turn anymore crimson it would but it’s probably not humanly possible.  “Lucy are… are you flirting with me?”

“Maybe…  If you don’t like it I’ll stop.”

“No!  I mean, yes, I mean you don’t have to stop… I’m just not used to it, I don’t get flirted with often.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“I think most girls think my hair color is too strange or maybe because I can be a little on the weird side at times.”

“But I like the color of your hair, pinks are my favorite color and there’s nothing wrong with being a little different.  Hell,” she laughs aloud, “I live in a fantasy world half the time, it’s how I come up with my stories.”

“Lucy… I…” but he’s shut down when her phone starts to vibrate.

“Sorry I need to answer it’s my assistant.”

“Yes Levy?  No, I’m not home yet, got caught in the rain at a bus stop.  Oh hey, I didn’t even realize it stopped raining.  What?  No, I’m not waiting for the bus, I just took shelter…  I don’t know if I can make it to…  Alright, send the car to get me, I’m on Canal street.  But I’ll need to stop somewhere to freshen up.  Yes, got a bit soaked… Oh and Levy one last thing, hold on; hold on okay!”  she covers the microphone, “Natsu do you have to go to Gray’s or are you free right now?”

“Um, I’m free I guess…”

“Yeah Levy, I’ll have one guest…” Lucy’s face flushes.  “Yes, it’s a guy.  No, I’m not telling you that over the phone!  Can you just send the car please?” Mumbling, “I’ll tell you more, later okay, I’ll see you soon.  Bye.  Bye!”

“Lucy, what was that all about?”

“I need to make an appearance at a dinner being hosted by my publisher… You don’t mind, do you?” she’s blushing again, “I’d like to spend more time hanging out with you, maybe get to know you better…”

Natsu is absolutely flabbergasted.  This stranger is asking him to be her date for what sounds like a big event, though he can’t say he’s not intrigued or delighted by the offer, it’s just so, so crazy.  All he did was keep her from falling down! 

“Are you serious?  Like actually serious?”

She nods but add with a little sadness in her voice, “You can say no, I don’t wanna seem like I’m forcing you…”

“I’ll go with you.  I’d like to get to know you better too.” A light pink dusting his cheeks.  “But I don’t have anything to wear.”

“Don’t worry about that, we’ll be making some pit stops along the way.”

“And... but do you think I’ll fit in?  I mean, formal stuff is not really something I’ve dealt with…”

“Think of it like a mission you’re taking to explore a new world you’ve never seen before.” 

He laughs, “that sounds like one of your stories.” 

Just then, the limo pulls up alongside the bus stop.  Lucy stands up and holds out her had to him smiling.  “Ready for an adventure?”

Natsu gladly accepts it and grins, “Always.”  _‘This is going to be interesting…’_   


	12. Picture Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy's the top model for her friends fashion show, but too bad for her, that best friend is gonna be playing match maker...

In the world of Japanese fashion, Cana Alberona is an up and coming designer mixing different elements in the Visual and Oshare Kei genre’s along with an old meets new way of thinking.  Her clothing line, FairyTail, gravitates towards punk yet with a lighter flare to reach a larger demographic.  March’s Fashion Week in Tokyo has arrived and it will be the first time she will debut her men’s line to the world. 

With the help of her assistant Levy McGarden, she walks into the large arena on the second day of the week.  It’s early but already bustling with activity.  Women and Men moving about between different stations, hair, make up, clothes, fittings, alterations; it’s a mad house to say the least.  Cana checks on her best friend and lead model, Lucy Heartfillia.

“How’s it going Lu?”

“I don’t know how you come up with some of this stuff Cana.” She winces as the dresser pulls the corset as tight as it will go.

“But you look gorgeous as ever my dear.”

“No pain, no gain in this industry, breathing optional!” the blonde laughs.  “At least now we’ve got some eye candy at your shows.” She nods her head towards the men’s section. 

“See something you like?”

“I recognize a few of them from magazines or other shows.”

A red headed and blue haired model walk up already in their outfits.  “Erza Scarlet, you fit so well into my line with that crimson hair of yours, same with you Juvia.  That’s why I love using you guys as models, those colors against the black motif just pops!” 

“Cana, I swear couldn’t this season’s stuff be a little more on the girly side, sometimes it’s not a bad thing you know.”

“Juvia agrees with Erza, Juvia wishes to show off cuter outfits.”

“Leave the designing to me, girls, and you worry about making it look good.  This is what’s on trend right now with the younger gens.”

“And we look damn hot in these!” adds Lucy.  “Anyways girl, so what’s the line up?”

“Ooh, you’re gonna love it.  See those guys over there?”  Cana points in the male’s direction.  “You’ll be paired up with one of ‘um.”

“Seriously!” the three girls all squeal. 

“Yup!” she grins.  “Just you three since you’re my top girls.  The rest of the models will be singles.  So… you guys wanna meet them?”

“Duh!  We should get to know them…” Lucy blushes, “I mean so we’re comfortable walking with them.”

Cana smirks, “Sure Lu.  Levy could you make the introductions?  I gotta go check on the other models.”

“Yeah, no problem.  This way you guys.”

Lucy- “So who are we gonna be paired with?”

“I’ll tell you when we get there.”  Levy leads them to the other side of the dressing area where they see three already dressed and goofing around.  “Ahem!” Levy clears her throat gaining their attention.  “Boy’s it’s time to meet your partners.”  As she turns to look back at the girls she can immediately see pink blushes on each of their cheeks, especially on the blonde whose cheeks were the deepest rouge.  She smirks knowing Lucy recognizes him, “Natsu,” she drags the blonde over to the pink haired young man grinning at her, “you are being paired with Lucy.”  Levy turns to the next guy, “Gray, you are with Juvia,” pulling the blushing girl over to his side.  “And Jellal, you’re with Erza.”  Levy is not surprised when the red head walks right over to him.  “We’ve still got about an hour before the show starts so I suggest you take this time to figure out your partner walks and poses.  I’ll be back in time to get you.”

“Oi?”  As Levy turns to walk away, Gray pipes up.  “Where are we in the line up?”

“Oh, um,” she flips a page on her clipboard.  “Jellal and Erza will open the show.  You and Juvia will be in the middle.  And Lucy,” she looks back up, “you and Natsu will close since you’re wearing the finale pieces.”  Each of the pairs nod as she states their positions then walk back to the guys individual stations.

 

At Natsu’s station, he plops down in one of the provided chairs and looks back up to the nervous girl in front of him.  With his eyes flashing and a big ear to ear smile, “So Luce, have you ever done a partner walk before?”

“Excuse me, but my name is Lucy.” She blushes.  “I’ve done partner poses for a couple of magazines before but never on a runway.”

He puts his hands behind his head, interlacing his fingers, “Yeah me neither.  Actually, I’ve never done a runway show before.”

“Wait what?” Lucy’s jaw drops.  “If you’re a newbie, how’d you end up as a closer?  That’s usually for the more seasoned models.”

He shrugs his shoulders, “Cana saw me at a mall and said I’d be perfect for her designs and the model she had planned to close the show.  I didn’t know what she meant but thought this could be fun.  I’ve seen Gray do this a few times and thought well if pervy popsicle can do it why can’t I.”

“Pervy popsicle?”

“It’s one of the names I call Gray cause he often strips.  Come to think of it, this is the first runway he’s done that wasn’t showing off underwear.”  Natsu smirks.  “Anyways, he calls me stuff too.”

“Like what?” 

“His favorite seems to be flame brain.”

“So, Cana thought you’d be a good match for me… I mean for the run way that is.” Her face flushes at her wrong choice of words.  “To walk with on the runway that is.”

He shrugs, “That’s what she said.”  Grinning, “But I can see why…”

“W-what that supposed to me?”

“Come closer…” he motions with his finger.  “And I’ll tell you…”

She takes a step forward, “is it a secret?”

Motioning again, “A little closer…”  Lucy steps within his reach. 

“Hey!” she squeaks out as Natsu pulls her down on his lap facing away from him.  Keeping his arms around her waist to keep her from getting up he leans his head against hers.

“Look forward.”

“Why!”

“Just look forward girlie.”

“And I’m looking at…” she sees their reflection in a mirror, and her breath hitches a moment, _‘that damn grin…’_ she melts just a little.  It had been several years but her memory of that grin pops back in her mind.  The first day she walked into that classroom…  She was the new girl, shy, and this was before she wore contacts.  Searching for an empty seat, she sees one and asks the person behind it if anyone was sitting there.  The pink haired young man grinned and told her it was open before going back to the conversation he was having with Cana.  She later became best friends with Cana and Levy and the two girls knew about the crush she developed on that young man.  They had tried talking her into approaching him…  He was single and handsome, but back then she was just too, damn, shy… 

“We make a perfect looking couple… that’s why…” Startled out of her daydream, she notices that he’s staring so intently back at her making her heart skip.

But she keeps her composure.  “Oh geez,” Lucy rolls her eyes and pushes herself off his lap.  “Look Natsu, we need to practice so we don’t mess up on the runway and since you said you’ve never done this before I wanna see how you walk.”

“You’re such a worrier Luce,” he gets off his chair.  “I got this.”  He saunters a few steps, stops, poses, turns and saunters back to her, where he stops again and poses all the while holding a confident smile on his face.

Lucy chuckles, “Could be worse I guess.”

Natsu’s jaw drops, “Are you serious, that was awesome.”

She cocks her hip and shakes her head, “No, this is what awesome looks like.”  Caressing his cheek, “Watch and learn little boy...”  Lucy struts forward, step, after step swinging her hips in slightly exaggerated movements to make the skirt bounce from side to side.  When she stops to pose, she shifts her hip to one side, and then cocks it to the other with her hands resting on her waist.  One final slight arch of her back and she turns around walking back in the same manner.  When she reaches Natsu she stops and keeping her feet planted about a foot and a half apart, twists her body at the waist to give the audience a side glance, winks, then walks away as if she were leaving the stage. 

About half way down her walk, Natsu’s mouth had dropped open, _‘Damn!’_   By the time she had finished her walk he was almost drooling.  _‘This fucking girl is so hot!’_   He sits back down.  “You win, hands down.”

Lucy giggles, “Don’t sound so defeated, you need to keep up with me for it to look good out there.  Come on…” she pulls him off the chair.  “The way Cana’s got this show set up is the catwalk will the run the length of the audience.  The males are coming out from one end and the girls the other so the regular models are just walking without stopping but the three pairs are supposed to meet in the middle and pose together before continuing on their way.”  She taps her chin.  “As the closers of the show our pose need to be show stopping.”

He shrugs, “Got any ideas?  You’re the veteran here.”

“Hmm…  Close your eyes…”

“Why?”

“Just close your eyes.”

He does, “Okay, now what?”

“Picture you’re taking a stroll along a path somewhere, like in a park or something and all of a sudden, the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen is walking towards you…”

“Uh-huh…”  _‘That’s easy’_ as his imagination takes hold and in his mind, he pictures Lucy…  He grins…

“You slow down, taking in the way her body is moving, how hair hair is flowing behind her, and as she gets close enough to touch…  Er, that’s the point where, I’m not sure what we should do.  Should we stop and create a sexual tension for just a moment before moving on, keep moving but just watch the other walk by, reach out and just let our fingers trail against the others…”

He blushes, “I-I’m leaning towards the, um first option.” 

“Yeah, that would probably be more interesting to see.”

 _‘Damn she agreed?!’_   “So, should we practice that move?”

“Nah, it might be better to be spontaneous.”

“Oh.” He pouts internally.  “Okay, yeah, why not…”

“You know, I better go check in with Cana and let her know our idea.” 

“and I’ll go see what Gray’s up to…” he turns to walk off

“Hey um Natsu?”

“Yeah?” Stopping to look back at her.

“You don’t, remember me… do you?”

He stares at her surprised, “Why, have we met before…  I think I’d remember you.”   

 _‘I guess he really doesn’t…’_   she sighs, “Never mind…  it’s not important.”  She walks away with her shoulders slumped a little.

 _‘What I say?!’_   He watches her walk away.  _‘Have I met her before?!’_   Heading over to find Gray. _‘How could I forget someone as beautiful as her?’_

 

Natsu finds Gray and Juvia talking at her station while the hairdresser finishes her up, “Hey popsicle!”

“What do you want flame head?  Why aren’t you with Lucy?”

“She wanted to talk to Cana… Hey she asked me if I remember her.  I don’t, but do you?”

Gray shakes his head, “Only seen her photo in magazines and stuff.”

At that moment, Levy walks by and Natsu stops her, “Hey Levy can I ask you something?”

She looks at her watch, “Yeah but make it quick.”

“Lucy asked me if I remember her, but I don’t.  Any idea why she thinks I might have?”

 _‘So, he doesn’t remember her…’_   “Why didn’t you ask her that yourself, Natsu?”

His shoulders slump, “I did ask but she told me never mind and sounded sad when she said it.  What am I missing here?”

“Maybe you’ve got a bad memory cause you don’t remember me either.” Sigh, “But I’ll give you a hint.  Magnolia High, your senior year, English class.”

“Huh?”

“Think about who was in that class with you.” She chuckles and walks away.

Natsu sits down on a chair and runs his hand over his face, “Argh!  English class?  Half the time I wasn’t even paying attention cause I hated that subject.”  He turns to his friend, “Do you remember seeing her in that class?”

“Idiot, I had English a different period than you.”

“Juvia thinks you can narrow it down, how many in your class could have been blonde females.”

“Well…” Natsu closes his eyes and tries to remember.  “There was um, Yukino, well she was more a platinum blonde…  Jenny…  Wait…” he opens his eyes.  “There was quiet blonde who sat, I think, two seats in front of me, but she wore glasses and rarely talked in class.”

“Oh, I remember her,” Gray pipes in, “she transferred in our senior year.  Loke hit on her a few times.  I think she was like a year younger than us but had skipped a grade or something.  I had her in my art class.  Yeah… she was kind of the nerdy type.  How could it be her?  That girl was like so different than Lucy.”

“I think I remember her, if it’s the same person.  One of the few times she spoke was to read a poem that I guess she really liked.  I can’t remember the name of it...”  Natsu stands up, “I um, I gotta check on something.” He looks at his watch, “Damn we gotta line up in a few minutes.  Hey, I’ll see you guys out there!” and rushes off.

“I think he’s taken a liking to Lucy.”  Gray chuckles.

“Juvia thinks Cana matched all of us up perfectly.” She blushes

 

“Cana!?”  Natsu waves down the designer.  “Can I ask you something?”

“Make it quick, you need to go line up already!”

“I know, I know.  You’ve know Lucy since high school, right?”

“Yeah… and I was in your English class too.”

“You I remember.  Anyways, she read a poem in class, it was kinda short, maybe about love, I think it was a favorite of hers…”

“Invisible.”

“Do you know how it goes?”

“Hell no, poetry was her thing not mine but she published it on um, Wattpad.  Look her up, StarQueen17.  Now get going and line up!”

“Okay thanks!” he hurries to his place.  Along the way he pulls out his phone and starts searching.

 

As he waits his turn in the lineup, Natsu commits the short poem to memory.  _‘I’ll give her a show stopper.’_  He grins to himself.

 

The moment has arrived as Natsu steps onto the catwalk.  At the other end, he sees her take her first pose, he counters and begins the journey towards her.  _‘Walk in the park…’_ he chants in his head, _‘Just be smooth… confident…’_   midway he slows his steps, as his heartrate increases.  _‘Fuck she is beautiful!’_   He can’t help but stare at Lucy as she sashays forward, slowing her own gait to meet him.

He reaches out and slowly pulls her body against his as she runs her hands up his chest.  With one arm around her waist, Natsu tilts her chin up… and lowers his face as they gaze into each other’s eyes; lips just a couple inches apart...  A buzz of murmurs and whispers resound around them but the pair seem lost to it all… when he whispers, “A glance, a smile and my heart skips a beat.  But then you look away, and I become invisible once more.  Just another face in the crowd; the popular guy to the shy little girl.  I wish you’d see me…”

Lucy gasps, “H-how’d you?”

“I remember…” he leans in, closing the final gap and softly kisses her lips.  No longer just whispers but out right gasps, clapping, and shouts ring out as he tightens his embrace and she grips to his neck.  When he pulls back, he runs the back of his hand lightly along her cheek.  “You wrote that for me, didn’t you?”

“No, I…”  he raises an eyebrow.  “Okay, yes…” she stammers and looks around at the hushed room.  “But this is not the time and place to…”

“You said show _stopper_ …” he grins, “…just go with it…” before picking her up bridal style.  After a sigh, she weaves her arms around his neck smiling up at him to play the part of love at first sight and he walks off the catwalk to more cheers.

 

As soon as they are back stage, he puts Lucy down but doesn’t relinquish the hold he has around her waist.  “Natsu!  What were you thinking?  This is a runway show, not the dating game!”

“The crowd seemed to love it, and you said you wanted something big…”

“Yeah, I did but…”

Cana walks up.  “Wrap it up later you two, we need to finish the show first!  Come on,” she grabs their hands and puts them together.  “Just walk out like a normal couple in front of me.”  And pushes them forward to line up behind the rest of the models.  “By the way.  That was a _creative_ closing pose to say the least.” She grins. 

As everyone starts moving forward, “Sorry Cana, I hope…”  Lucy starts to apologize before being cut off.

“Lu, the audience loved it and that’s all that matters.” she winks at her friend.  “You can thank me later, now…” Pushing them onto the walk amid the hundreds of flashes going off, “…smile for the cameras!”

When the trio reach the end of the cat walk, Cana instigates and escalates the situation.  Clapping and chanting, “Kiss!” followed and egged on by their friends, the other models, and the crowd.  “Kiss!”  “Kiss!”  “Kiss!”

“Well Luce…” Natsu grins and squeezes her hand.  She pauses for a second as a rush of old emotions come flooding back to her.  But before he can do anything, this time it’s Lucy who makes the first move.  She leaps into his arms, wrapping them around his neck.  He embraces her, holding her up as they kiss for the second time on that stage. 

The crowd stands up screaming and clapping, the roar of excitement around them becomes deafening.  When the kiss ends he lets her slide down so her feet are back on the floor.  With tears trickling down her face, he wipes them away with his thumb, caressing her cheek in the process.  Natsu smiles sweetly at this beautiful blonde just melting in his arms.  “I’m sorry you had to wait so long Luce…”

“It’s okay…” she stifles a sniffle and smile back.  Cana is smirking at them.  As their friend’s crowd around them, she places her hands one on each of their shoulders.  “Did you plan this?  Lucy asks her best friend. 

Feigning innocence, “Uh!  I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Spill it girl!  You knew about my crush…”

“Okay fine, so after I ran into him and Gray one day I figured this show would be a perfect opportunity…”

Lucy lets go of Natsu and hugs her friend, “Thank you.”

Cana hugs her back, “You are very welcome.”  After letting her go and Natsu grabs Lucy again around the waist kissing her.  “You two just gave me a new closing idea for the next show…” Cana smirks at the end of the kiss.  “How about a runway wedding?”


	13. Musings of the Blind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This story picks up from the ending of Picture Perfect, when Natsu remembers more of his previous history with Lucy back in high school

…..As their friend’s crowd around them, she places her hands one on each of their shoulders.  “Did you plan this?  Lucy asks her best friend. 

Feigning innocence, “Uh!  I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Spill it girl!  You knew about my crush…”

“Okay fine, so after I ran into him and Gray one day I figured this show would be a perfect opportunity…”

Lucy lets go of Natsu and hugs her friend, “Thank you.”

Cana hugs her back, “You are very welcome.”  After letting her go and Natsu grabs Lucy again around the waist kissing her.  “You two just gave me a new closing idea for the next show…” Cana smirks at the end of the kiss.  “How about a runway wedding?”

 

Lucy ignores her friends comment for the time being.  _‘I just hope no magazines or tabloids heard that!’_ she sighs in her head.  The last thing the blonde wants is to see some crazy article coming out declaring an engagement or something between she and Natsu.  Not to say it would be a bad image but still, gossip is just not something she wants to deal with.  It didn’t help that Natsu was fueling the fire more than calming it by sticking to her side the whole time.  Once he had a hold of her he didn’t want to let go, either keeping his arm around her waist or holding her hand, and when I say holding her hand, more like fingers intertwined and locked.  If a male fan dared to smile at her, his grip tightened even further.    

The models linger for another half an hour on the runway, talking with fans and taking photos with guests before the producers clear everyone out to get prepped for the next day’s show.  But once they get behind the scenes, Lucy corners her best friend, “Cana, aren’t you rushing things a bit!  So, we kissed a couple of times…”

“Five times…” Natsu chimes in, holding up his fingers, “Five.” and Cana grins.

“Fine, five times.  _'Actually it's 6 times...'_   But seriously?  A few kisses do not equate to an engagement and certainly not a wedding.  I mean, your next show is in a year.”

“So maybe not the next show, but one of the shows…”

“I don’t think that’s gonna happen.”

“It could…” Natsu interjects

Lucy runs her hand over her face, “Ugh, you are so not helping right now.  We barely know each other.”

“Still…” he grabs her again, as she rolls her eyes, “it’s not _impossible._ ”

“Geez, and what’s gotten into you?  You didn’t even know who I was before the show and now, all of a sudden you’ve become so protective and clingy.”  Lucy didn’t mean to sound so harsh but it just came out that way.

But the comment doesn’t faze him.  Natsu shrugs his shoulders, “Once I see something I like, I don’t give it up very easily.”

“Take it from his best friend Lucy, Natsu can be as a stubborn as a bull when he’s dead set on something.”

“Dragon,” the young man huffs, “I prefer stubborn as a dragon.”

“You do realize that’s a mythical creature, right?” Levy points out, “How do you know they’re stubborn?”

But Natsu just rolls his eyes, “I believe they are.”

 _Sigh_ , “I don’t plan on going anywhere so you can relax a little, okay?” Lucy caresses his cheek, “But, I’m a model, and a well-known one at that; you can’t start acting jealous every time a guy tries to talk to me.”

“I wasn’t acting jealous.”

“Um, yes you were.  You were staring down any guy who even looked in my direction.”

“I wasn’t…”

“Pinky, you were behaving like a jealous boyfriend.”

“Shut up stripper!  I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

“Tch!  Make me!”

“Will you guys stop it!”  Jellal scolds them.  “You’re both acting like children.”  The two friends both cross their arms and huff.

“Look, Lu I’m not trying to rush you okay?  The comment was all in fun.” Cana pokes her friends shoulder, “Just don’t let that serious side of you curtail the possibilities.”  Lucy’s shoulder slump, her friend was right in that she tends to overthink things.  The designer then turns to the rest of their group of friends, “Come on everyone get changed for the after party, I’ve booked the Blue Pegasus Nightclub for the models and crew to unwind and celebrate another great show!  Meet at the back entrance in 30 minutes so the limo can take us there.”

Reluctantly, Lucy and Natsu part ways, she going to her station to change and he, heading back to his but not before she asked him to just wait for her at the back door with the others.  She knew it would take her longer to change and didn’t want him having to wait just for her, or rather pace in front of her station.  He seemed sad about the separation but left her alone.

 

“He seems to be really smitten with you.”  Levy chuckles at her friend. 

“Yeah… I know.  Is it even possible to get that way so quickly” Lucy braces herself against a wall as the dresser works to untie her out of the corset, “Whew.” She holds her midsection as soon as it’s off.  “I can breathe again.”

“You did, or did you forget?” the blonde blushes.  “Anyways, what are you gonna wear to the party?”

“Does it matter?”

“Of course, it does!  Don’t you wanna look good for Natsu?”

“I may still have feelings for him…  But it shouldn’t matter what I look like right?  I mean the true test is, will he still want me if I was in say sweatpants and an oversized shirt?”

“Yes, I agree, but not tonight.  Tonight, we are going to a party so you need to dress the part.  But to answer your question, I bet he’d love to see you in _just_ an oversized shirt.”  Lucy giggles from the suggestive comment.

“Don’t worry Levy, I’ll be wearing something fashionable, you know I always do when I go out.”

 

As the two girls chat on the way to the back entrance, Lucy starts to chuckle when she sees the pink haired boy pacing in front of it.  “Geez, he’s so antsy,” she whispers to Levy.

“Told ya, he’s really taken by you now.”

“So, is Gajeel gonna meet you at the club?”

“Yeah, he’s gotta hang back to make sure all this stuff is cleared since he’s head of Cana’s security, but that shouldn’t take too long.”

“That’s good.”

Seeing Lucy walking up Natsu stops pacing and almost beelines for her.  Gone is the punk style and in its place, is a more relaxed, and very cute party ensemble.  Black frilled skirt down to her knees, crimson red spaghetti strapped top, not too tight but enough to accent her slim torso, paired with 4-inch black stilettos at the ends of her toned long legs.  _‘those could wrap around me…’_ he shakes the indecent vision that pops into his mind.  When they reach him all he can manage is, “Took you guys long enough.”

“Hey!  That corset may look good on me, but it’s a bitch to get in and out of.”

Without censoring, his mouth runs off before his brain can reel him in.  “Truthfully I like this more relaxed you.” He grins, “Besides, wouldn’t want you in something that’s hard to get you out of later…”

Lucy blushes hard at his insinuation.  “I’m not that kind of girl Natsu.” Is all she can stammer out.

“That’s a good thing, wouldn’t want you to be,” The smirk on his face widens, “unless it’s with me.”

 _‘Oversized shirt…’_ Levy mouths the words to her friend making Lucy’s blush deepen.

“Down boy.” Gray quips as he and Juvia walk into the conversation.  “But seriously Lucy, you must have some crazy effect on him cause I’ve never heard him talk like that with girls before.”

“You mean he’s normally not a flirt?” her eyes widen.

“Nope.”

“See…” Levy chimes in and giggles, “Told ya.”

Erza and Jellal walk up, “Told who what?”

Gray slaps his best friend in the back, “This hot head has got it bad for Lucy.”

“Can you just shut up Ice Queen!”

But before Gray can respond, “Come on you guys!” Cana pops her head through the door, “Let’s go!”

Everyone piles into the stretched limo, chatting on the way to the club.  Cana smiles to herself, It’s become obvious to the designer that her friend Lucy isn’t the only one with a new attachment, Juvia and Erza seem quite happy as well with the choices she set them up with… 

The Blue Pegasus Nightclub is a more upscale locale that Cana frequents on occasion.  The owner, a cross dressing man named Bob always took care of her when she came in so it was a no brainer to book the place for this event.  Aside from the manager, Mr. Ichiya, the staff were all good-looking, whether girl or guy, especially Hibiki, a favorite amongst the female clientele.

Settling into the VIP section, the group of friends kick off the evening with a round of champagne as crew members, models, and guests slowly fill the place.  The bouncer Laxus, has a list of who was allowed in for the private event and along with two others made sure no one who shouldn’t be there made it through the doors.    

Within the hour Gajeel had joined his girlfriend leaving Cana the only dateless one.  “Is Loke coming?”  Lucy asks her friend.

“Yeah, my FTF will be here soon.”

Natsu cocks his head, “FTF?”

“Friends that Fuck.” Gray whispers

“Oh damn!” he laughs, “She’s still crazy as hell…”  Gray nodding in agreement.

 

Everyone’s having a great time when not long after they arrived, Cana’s _‘friend’_ Loke made his dramatic entrance not.  They all look over to see the orange haired man walking towards them, stopping to kiss the hands of every pretty girl along the way.

“Ah, Princess…” Loke moves to grab Lucy’s hand, but Natsu slaps it away.

“Natsu!” Lucy punches his shoulder, “What the hell?”

“He was trying to kiss your hand!”

“And!  He does that with all the girls…”  Lucy retorts as Cana comes around and pulls at Loke’s arm to get him to sit by her.

But he’s not done with the feisty pink haired guy, “Whoa, man you need to chill.” Loke pushes his glasses up.  “Lucy and I have known each other for a few years.”

Natsu makes a move to stand but Lucy yanks him back down to the seat.  “Yeah well this boyfriend doesn’t like it when other guys try to touch her!” he growls.

“Boyfriend?”  Ignoring Natsu, Loke looks down at the blonde, “Princess, you never mentioned a boyfriend.”

“That’s because he’s n…”

Natsu puts his arm around Lucy’s shoulders pulling her against him, “Well I am her boyfriend, so will you stop calling her Princess!”

Finally, Cana cuts in, “Okay boys, put the hoses down,” and pulls Loke onto the seat beside her.  “Natsu just excuse him, he’s not interested in Lucy that way and you,” she grabs Loke for a quick kiss, “Is it so hard for you to believe Lu’s got a man now?”

“No, it’s about time.  But if that punk hurts her I swear…”

“He’s not, Natsu’s a good guy, just possessive at the moment of his star…”

In the meantime, Lucy pushes Natsu off her, “I told you, stop acting so jealous!  And since when did you become my boyfriend?”

Mumbling, “I just said that so he’d leave you alone…”

 _Sigh_ , “If you wanted to be my real boyfriend, why didn’t you just ask me?”

He perks up, “Will you be my girlfriend Luce?”

“No.” She responds with a straight face.

Natsu’s jaw drops, “What!”

She giggles, “Just kidding.  I’ll give you a chance.” And pecks him on the cheek.

“So…” Cana chimes in, “Are you guys done making up?”  Lucy nods with a blush, “Good cause the next round of shots is on their way.”

 

As the night wears on and the drinks keep coming, the tensions have dissipated and the topic has somehow made its way back to high school.  Five in the group attended Magnolia High but the others come from elsewhere.  Juvia and Gajeel attended school together, though he was a couple grades above her at Element Tech.  Loke hails from the private boarding school Astral, and Jellal was tutored at the Le Sorciere in northern France.      

It’s the five from Magnolia High that dominate the conversation.  Erza was the oldest of them, having graduated 2 years before Lucy had transferred in, but the other 4 were all in the same grade level, though Lucy was a year younger.  Up till her Senior year, she had been tutored at home and was far enough advanced in her studies that when they tested her, she was placed in the class above her age.  Levy was actually the first friend she made that year.  Shy and lacking in people skills from being taught at home most of her youth, she gravitated to the library and that’s where they met.  Cana, was a different story.  While she knew Levy, being more of an extrovert they ran in different circles most of the time.  Hell, if it wasn’t for an assignment in a Business Development class she probably would never have met Lucy either.

“How did you two become friends?”  Natsu asks Lucy and Cana.

“Remember the teacher, Mr. Macao?”

“Yeah…”

“He paired us up for a project where we had to come up with a business plan.”  Cana grins, “After tossing around a few ideas, when I mentioned how I wanted to be a designer, Lucy suggested using that so we figured out what needed to be done to get started in this industry and this,” she motions around them, “plus seed money from her dad, is the end results.  If it wasn’t for Lucy opening-up to me, I don’t know if I would have pulled it all off.”

“Yeah…” Lucy smiles too.  “and when Levy joined our little group, she added her organizational skills and voila.”

Natsu turns to Lucy, “But you said you were shy and quiet in school, how’d you go from that to this.” He motions with his hands up and down her body.  “You ain’t shy no more.”

The blonde blushes, “That was all Cana…  She slowly pulled me out of my shell…”

“Shit, I saw the potential in Lu, I mean she hid her rockin’ body under dowdy clothes and glasses.  So, I played make over, testing out my designs on her.  But it wasn’t till after high school she let me do a full overhaul on her, made her lose the glasses, changed her hair, the works.”

Lucy closes her eyes momentarily, “I remember the day she got Virgo to empty my closet of clothes and dragged me shopping for a whole new wardrobe;” opening her eyes, “but she let Cancer come up with my new hair style.”

“Well that guy has got some major skills with a scissors!” 

“Um, who’s Virgo and Cancer?” Natsu inquires

“Virgo’s my maid and Cancer is my hair stylist.”

His eyes widen, “Whoah!  You have a maid?!”

“Oh, Natsu you didn’t know?” Cana responds before her friend can.

Lucy slouches down embarrassed, “I kinda come from money…”

He lifts her chin, “Sorry, didn’t mean to get all excited, I just never met someone with a maid before.” 

“It’s okay,” she lowers her gaze even though he keeps her face lined with his, “I don’t like to advertise that about me, don’t want guys hitting on me cause…”

“That’s not something you need to worry about anymore.” He kisses her on the lips.

“Anyways…” Lucy changes the subject, “for me high school was just my senior year, but it was the best decision I ever made to go to a public school.  If not, I wouldn’t have met these two,” she grabs Cana and Levy’s hands, “and wouldn’t be having so much fun with my life.” 

“Speaking of fun high school memories,” the brunette sits forward in her seat, “do you guys remember the Senior Retreat?”

“That was a lot of fun…” Levy reminisces

“You had your first kiss there didn’t you…” Cana asks Lucy, sparking a heated whisper session amongst the three. 

“Oh yeah?”  Natsu leans in, “from who?”

The three girls stop talking and stare at him, “You don’t remember?”  Cana raises an eyebrow, “You were there too.”

Natsu starts to stammer, “I…”

Cana is about to say more but Lucy covers her mouth, “Don’t!”

“Why not?” her friend mumbles through the closed fingers.

Lucy responds with a gritted smile.  “Just drop it.”  Letting go of her friend, “my favorite that weekend was the mock fashion thing in our cabin, _remember_ , Cana…”  she stares hard at her friends, trying to communicate the please change the subject hint in her voice.  “you brought a bunch of the designs you were working on…”

“Right…” Levy adds, “back then your designs were more girly.”

“It was based on the trends of the time.”

Gray leans into the conversation, “I remember you guys doing that.”

“Excuse me but how would you, it was just us girls?”  they all eye him up suspiciously

But he just sits back and crosses his arms, “We were peeping okay, watching from the window.”

“Who is we?”

“Me and this idiot,” he slaps Natsu…  “and probably others that I don’t recall, but I don’t remember Lucy being there.”

Cana huffs, “Well she was, maybe you just didn’t realize it was her.”

From the moment that Lucy stopped the brunette from answering him, Natsu had sat back, pulling himself away from the conversation.  Were his memories of high school that bad?  I mean, okay, so it took some effort to even remember Lucy and now is there more that he was forgetting?  As he watches the girls chattering on, laughing about their cabin fashion foray, Gray admitting to them they had been playing peeping Tom’s, then getting drilled by them for doing that, what was he missing?! 

Sure, he had fond memories of that retreat, it was a month before graduation, and yes, he remembers that show.  A couple other girls were in that cabin, Lisanna and Jenny for sure, he remembers Cana and even Levy but the other blonde in the room wasn’t wearing glasses, and wasn’t shy at all.  He had heard her laughing and giggling with the rest of them, goofing around and acting silly; nothing at all like the girl he pictured from his English class.  Natsu shakes his head, _‘was that actually Lucy?’_   Now that he thinks about it, _‘How the fuck was I so blind!  Who else could it have been but her?!’_  She had been at the retreat, the shy Lucy he knew her as was usually near Levy or Cana at any given time.  _‘She was at the front of the bus on the way there.  That first afternoon, she was in the boat ahead of the one I was in when we went rafting… that night was the cabin incident…’_ Like peeling back on the layers of that weekend in his mind, the memories start coming to him… _‘I remember her around on Saturday… and that last night around the campfire we were making smores when someone suggested Truth or Dare…’_ his eyes widen.  _‘Right…’_   “Truth or Dare…” he whispers, gaining Lucy’s brief attention as he flashes back to the whole scene…

_“Let’s play truth or Dare!” Suggests Cana.  Groans from everyone around the fire.  “Are you guys all chicken!” she taunts them._

_“I’m game.” Natsu speaks up._

_“Oi, if flame brain plays then I can’t let him show me up!”_

_“I guess so…” Lucy meekly adds._

_Levy sighs, “If we must.”_

_“No, way.” Elfman crossed his arms, “It’s not a manly game, just a stupid one,” and walks away_

_Lisanna and Jenny also stand up, “You guys have fun.” They both wave and leave as well_

_Cana shrugs her shoulders, “five is plenty enough to play.  Who wants to start us off?”_

_Gray sits forward.  “I’ll go.  Cana, truth or dare?”_

_“Dare.”_

_“Alright, I dare you to… sneak up behind Max and tickle him; his sides are the best target.”  She runs up and does it, leaving Max heaving in laughter on the ground._

_“My turn,” she plops back down, “Gray, truth or dare.”_

_“Dare.”_

_She smirks, “Strip down to your boxers and run through Yukino’s cabin.”_

_“Tch, so easy…” he pulls off his clothes leaving them in a pile where he was sitting.  After a minute, they hear screaming and banging sounds like something being thrown and hitting a wall.  He returns with a huge grin, “She was changing when I barged in, nice assets.”_

_“Oh geez…” Cana rolls her eyes._

_“Okay my turn again.  Levy, truth or dare?”_

_“Truth.”_

_“Aww no fun.” He pouts, “Fine, are you still a virgin?”_

_Gasp, as she turns red, “No…”_

_“Eh!”  Lucy and Cana both turn to their cowering friend, “Don’t tell me you and he?!”_

_“Last weekend…”_

_Cana wraps her arms around her friend’s shoulder, “Don’t be so embarrassed, we’re teenagers, it’s totally normal to experiment, well except our friend here…”  Levy whispers something to the brunette making her grin and nod and move to the other side of Lucy putting the blonde between them._

_Levy turns with a grin, “Truth or dare Natsu?”_

_“Dare.”_

_“I dare you to… kiss my friend here.” She and Cana grab Lucy by the shoulders to hold her._

_“N-no!” the blonde shrieks trying to pull out of their grasp, her eyes only widening as Natsu stands up moving in her direction.  “I-I can’t!” giving it one more tug she frees herself from the girls and stumbles to her feet._

_“Come on, I’ve gotta do the dare if not I’ll lose…” he keeps walking forward._

_Lucy back peddles, not realizing there was tree right behind her.  ‘Shit!’  She covers her face with her hands._

_“Hey…” Natsu’s voice softens as he takes her hands away from her face.  “It’s just a kiss.”  Tilting her head by the chin, his warm smile makes her breathing stop for a second, while her heart skips.  Leaning in all the way he presses his lips against hers while his hands move to her arms.  Lucy melts into her crushes hold and her hands settle on his waist.  By the time the kiss ends his arms are around her body.  “See…” he whispers, “wasn’t so bad, right?”  She shakes her head lightly._

_That’s when Cana’s voice breaks her out of her dream, “We said kiss, not make out.”_

_Remembering the situation she was in, Lucy pushes away from Natsu and walks away to her cabin without a second glance or word and Natsu returns to the fire.  “Is she okay?”  with a legitimate concerned to his tone._

_“She’ll be fine.” Levy responds.  “But, I think we should call it a night.” And stands up heading after Lucy…_

 

Back in the club, Natsu’s mind stumbles back into the current conversation, something about an upcoming fashion spread for the men’s line.

He clears his throat and taps his girlfriend’s shoulder, “Luce, could we talk?” he whispers as quietly as he can.  She nods in response and allows him to pull her to her feet and away from the table.  As he leads her away they find an empty booth tucked into a far corner of the club.  “I’m sorry.” Natsu apologizes once they are settled.  “I didn’t know that I was your first kiss.  It was wrong of me to force you into it over a stupid dare.”

“You don’t need to apologize…”

“No, I do.” _Exhaling_ , “For me I looked at it as a game, but I realize now for you it must have been a really big deal.”

“You could say that…”

“Damn, I’m such a chauvinistic dick.  I didn’t see you in high school just because you were quiet and kinda…”

“Boring looking.” She answers for him

He looks down, “… but then when I saw you today, just because of how you looked I finally notice you.  Gah!  That makes me a total ass and I’m really sorry for that.”

“What’s done is done Natsu, just strike it from our history and move on.”

“I don’t wanna do that.”  Pulling her onto his lap, “Despite the reason behind it, I remember it being a very agreeable kiss… and I don’t want to forget that.”

“So, are you here with me now based on my looks?”

“Hell no!”

“Then why are you interested in me?”

“Well, okay so yeah it’s awesome that you are friggin gorgeous, but I know you are damn smart too, sweet yet with a feistier side, and loyalty to your friends is big in my book…” squeezing her waist, “There’s just something special about you that maybe now that I’m older I can see and appreciate better.”

 _Sigh_ , she leans her head on his shoulder, “I’ll admit, even though that kiss was just to win…  it was a really good first kiss you gave me.”

He chuckles, “That was evident by the dreamy look you had afterwards…  But I’ll tell you a secret.” whispering in her ear.  “It was my first too, I just couldn’t back down from the dare.”

She pops her head up with an _‘are you for real!’_ expression on her face and when he nods, Lucy smiles.  “Past mistakes not withstanding as our Present finds remembrance and reflection so our Future becomes a wealth of new opportunities…”

He smiles back, “And when our histories are written into the annals of Wikipedia it shall say…”


	14. 20 Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crocus is experiencing a city wide power outage so of course Natsu goes to check on his best female friend since he knows she's not fond of the dark...

It’s about 9 o’clock in the evening as the budding writer clacks away at her computer desk.  By the time she entered high school, Lucy knew that what she wanted to be when she grew up was a successful fiction novelist.  But the literary world was not a forgiving place, just getting a publishing house to look at your work was difficult enough, and getting it published was even harder; not to mention once you do get that opportunity you now had to prove to the fickle world of readers that you weren’t just a one-hit wonder.    

And that’s where she was.

Two years ago, a small publishing company, Fay House, Inc was intrigued by her fantasy type stories and took a chance on the young woman.  While the book had sold a fair amount of copies in the year it has been on shelves, and some critics deemed her a person to watch in the future, she still had a long way to go before she could quit her day job as a proofreader for the Crocus Gazette and focus all her energy on writing.

By day, she went to her regular job but at night and often through most weekends she spent it huddled over the keyboard hard at work on the second book of her Golden Key Series.  It was due to her agent in 6 months and she had only completed about half of it so far.  If all went to plan tonight, Lucy hoped to finish the chapter she was working on so that maybe, she could take a break and go to a concert this weekend with her best friend.  He’d been bugging her to go ever since their favorite band announced they’d be performing in their hometown. 

Typing away… _‘…She reached out to the shimmering metal in utter disbelief, could it be that this really was another zodiac key?  The young girl already possessed three, but they were so rare and hard to come by, and more than once it had turned out to be a fake, touted as a reward for a mission completed only to end up being worthless….’_

Without warning, the light of her laptop screen dims and blinks out as the blonde is left in total darkness.  “No!” she bangs on the keyboard.  “Ahhh!  Damn it, Damn it, Damn it,” she hits it again, “I didn’t save…”  Lucy slumps in her chair, two hours of work gone in a flash because she forgot to charge up the battery.  Turning on the flashlight app on her phone, she makes her way to her window and that’s when the gravity of the situation reveals itself; the whole city, as far as her eyes can see is completely black.  “Just great!” she throws her hands in the air.  “It’s gonna take them all night to fix this!” 

 

Two blocks away, Natsu and his roommate Gray are bickering at the TV screen, game controllers in each of their hands when the power goes out. 

“Fuck!” The dark-haired man laments, “And I was winning too!” tossing his controller down in front of him. 

“Yeah, for once!” 

“What they hell bro, I kick your ass most of the time!”

“ _Tch_ , only at this game cause you play it more than me!”  Natsu looks over at the window, “Whoa, it’s really dark out there.”

“Of course, it’s dark, idiot, it’s night time and new moon. 

But he stands and walks over to it, “No, moron, like the whole towns gone dark.”

“Seriously?” Gray joins him and seeing it for himself exhales, “Well so much for a rematch tonight.”  His friend drops his controller on the couch and heads towards the front door.  “Hey where are you going? 

“To check on Lucy, I bet she’s screaming at her laptop right now.”  Natsu checks his pockets; keys, phone, ready to go.  “Don’t wait up on me.”

“Right… you’ll be back by midnight.” Laughing.  “You are so pathetic man, how long you gonna stay in the friendzone before you give up and move on.”

“Prick.” Natsu sneers back.  “It’s not like that with her, and you know it.”

“Yeah I know.”  Jesting.  “You two have only been _‘friends’_ since Grammar school cause you never had the guts to ask her out.” 

“Whatever,” he raises a finger before shutting the door behind him.

 

Natsu manages to navigate the two blocks between their apartments despite not being able to see where he was going.  Hell, he’s travelled it so many times he could probably do it blindfolded, even drunk, which has happened on more than one occasion.  A couple of times instead of going home to his apartment from the bar he ended up at her door step.  Maybe it was the wishful thinking of a tipsy man…  Oh, she would whine and complain, _‘not again,’_ but always let him in to crash on her couch and sleep off the effects of that night.

But his friend had been right about one thing, Natsu’s had a crush on the pretty blonde since they were children, but he was never very good at admitting his feelings, especially ones that had the potential of becoming embarrassing.  He and Luce, which was his personal nickname for her, had grown so close that at times it was uncanny how one could finish the others sentence or would just know if something was bothering the other.  Like tonight, he would bet money that as soon as the power went out, she had been sitting at her desk writing, screamed and cursed when the screen went blank because she probably hadn’t saved whatever she had been working on, and is now sitting on her couch pouting with the plush dragon doll he won her at a fair clutched in her lap.

 

Lucy hears a knock at her front door, “Hey Luce, it’s me.”  She stands up from her couch and walks over to open it.

“What bring you here Natsu?” she moves out of the way to let him in before locking the door. 

He kisses her on the cheek and chuckles at what she’s holding in her arms, “Hi to you too.  I just wanted to make sure you were alright…”  grinning, “and didn’t break your computer ranting at it.”

“ _Tch_.” She crosses her arms around her doll.  “No.  But I lost everything I wrote tonight.”  _Sigh_ , she plops back onto her couch.  “I don’t think I’ll have time to go to that concert with you this weekend… and I was looking forward to it too.”  Pouting.

He sits beside her and puts his arm around, prompting her to rest her head on his shoulder.  “I have faith in you Luce, you wrote it once so I’m sure you’ll be able to whip it out easily the second time.”  Looking around her living room, she’s set up a few candles around the room giving it that cozy, perfect to cuddle in, kind of ambience.  He lets out a sigh, “Did you eat dinner?  I know how you sometimes forget to when you start working on that book.”

She shakes her head, “But I’ve got snacks I can break open if I get hungry.”  Cuddling a little closer to him, “Thanks for coming over… it was kinda creepy being alone in the dark.”

Leaning his head against hers, “You’re welcome.  So…  not much to do without power.  Wanna play cards or something? 

“Hmm… not really…”

“Board game?”

“Mmm, no.”

“I could put some music on from my phone.”

“Alright.”  He fishes the device from his pocket and turns on Pandora to a mild volume before setting it on her coffee table.  She sighs, “That’s better than silence.  What were you up to before the power went out?  No wait, let me guess, playing video games.”

“You know me well, Luce.”

“And then you decided to come check on me, just because the power went out?”

“I told you, cause I knew you’d probably be upset.”

It was nicer having him there, although she’d never previously admitted that she wasn’t fond of the dark, somehow, he knew and simply came to her rescue.  “Mmmm…” she hums, settling into the sanctity of his embrace.        

The blonde falls silent, enjoying this little quiet time with her BF.  With most people, Natsu is always goofy and gregarious but when it’s just the two of them, a more modest and subdued man shows up.  She doesn’t mind it, but sometimes wonders why he’s like that, as if he’s hesitant in how to interact with her.  Levy, her best girlfriend, swears it’s because he likes her and is trying to hide it but one would think by now, I mean all these years later, she’d have noticed something that told her if that was a possibility.  Or the other explanation is, she chooses not to get her hopes up because it makes her nervous…  Well nervous in that happy butterflies in your stomach kind of emotion and she doesn’t want it to turn into the sad, I wasted all these years waiting for nothing feeling.  An incident a few days ago made the blonde start thinking about their relationship and what it really meant to him.  Was she just his buddy?  Being stuck without the benefit of distractions could be the perfect opportunity to ferret out the truth, if she was ready.  She shudders at her thoughts 

He feels her tremble, “Luce, are you cold?  I could grab you a blanket…”

“I’m not cold… I was just thinking about something.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

“No, it’s okay, really.” Faking a yawn.  “Maybe I’m just tired.”

“Do you, wanna go lie down?  I can just head out.”

She turns to look at him, “Would you stay tonight since the power is still out… I’d feel safer not being alone.”

“Sure, I’ll just crash on the couch.”

Biting her lip, “I meant stay with me in… my room…”

His heart catches in his throat.  The fingers he has resting on his thigh, curl and dig into his skin trying to wake him up from the obvious dream he must be having because Lucy has never asked him to sleep in her bed, with her.  Sure, it won’t be the first time they’ve shared an intimate space but it’s a little different when it’s a camping trip or group vacation with limited room that they must make due, and he has slept-walked in and woke up in her bed before… He blinks his eyes, but nope she’s still there, waiting for his response.  “O-okay.”

She pats his leg, “I’m gonna change for bed.  Would you mind snuffing out the candles before you come in?”

“Y-yeah, I can do that.”

“Thanks.” She kisses his cheek and walks to her bedroom.

 

Natsu bides his time, slowly moving around the apartment _.  ‘I wonder why she’s acting a little weird tonight.  Maybe she was drinking before I got here…  Nah that can’t be it.’_   Just once, when Lucy had had too much to drink at a college party she came onto him, but he knew that wasn’t the case tonight.  He checks the front doors lock, makes sure the windows are closed, empties his pockets onto the kitchen counter, turns off the music, and one by one extinguishes the 6 or so candles, Lucy had placed around the space.  Before blowing the last one out, he scans one more time to make sure everything is secure before knocking.  “Can I come in?”

“Yeah.” She calls out from behind the wooden door.

The light from her phone is the only thing illuminating the room as she sits on her bed in a cotton tank top and shorts type of PJ’s.  Lucy pulls back the comforter as he silently breathes a sigh of relief that she’s not in lingerie or something more suggestive; the outfit she has on will be bad enough to be close to but that would have been much worse.  She pats the bed.  “Are you gonna sleep in that?” she points at his jeans.  “Wouldn’t it be uncomfortable.”

He runs his hand nervously through his hair, yes it would be, but the alternative is what, his boxers and just the t-shirt?  He grapples with the decision for a moment.  “I think I’ll take um off.  I-If you don’t mind,”

“I’ve seen you in just boxers before, remember, like that time when Gray yanked your shorts down during a wrestling match.”

“Right…” but that doesn’t make him feel better. 

She turns off the light from her phone to give him a little bit of privacy, as he strips and get into her queen-sized bed.  Pulling the covers up to her chest she lays there on her back staring at the ceiling and he does the same, remaining in that suspended reticence for some time before Lucy sighs loudly, “Are you asleep?”

“No.”

“I wanna… play a game.”

“Now?  But I thought you were tired?”

“I lied.”

Natsu turns to his side and props his head up to look at her, but she continues to stare at the ceiling, “Well, what did you wanna play?” 

She can hear the irritation in his voice knowing that it’s because of the lie.  Sighing again, “I wanna play…  20 questions…" 

Now his interest is peeked, but his anxiety also kicks in.  What brought this on so suddenly?  It’s obvious to him that there must have been something on her mind earlier and this _‘game’_ is just a ruse to bring it up.  But why go through all the trouble just to ask a few questions unless they are a touchy subject?  He can feel his heartrate pick up and his skin flushing at just the notion, things could become uncomfortable, very, shortly…  He exhales and lays on his back again, “Fire away Luce.” 

“We’ll take turns asking each other questions, no subject off limits, and we have to tell the truth no matter how hard it is.”  He cringes, yet at the same time, if he’s gonna be asked some awkward questions then it’s only fair he could finally get answers that have been burning in him too…  “I’ll start.  What’s my pen name?”

Breathing a sigh of relief, “That’s easy, Lucy Ashley.  My turn, um…”  _‘I think she’s testing how well I know her…’_   “…How old was I when I was adopted. 

“6.  When did my father lose his company?”

“You were 16…  I think. 

“Close enough, I was 17.”

“What’s my favorite color.”

“Red, specifically reddish-orange cause it reminds you of fire.”  His eyes light up, _‘Damn she pays close attention!’_   “Who’d I go to the Junior prom with.”

“ _Tch_ , Loke.”  Hearing the disgust in his voice makes her smile, maybe Levy was right after all…  “But at least I got to take you Senior year…” 

“If it bothered you that much, you should have asked me to go with you.”

“Never mind, can’t change the past.”  exhale  “It’s my turn again, what’s my…  favorite food?”

 _‘Is he too afraid to ask something harder?’_ Lucy starts chuckling, “Is that a trick question?  You’ll eat anything but I guess I’ll say, spicy stuff are your favorites.”

He chuckles too, “Very true, I’m not a picky eater.”

“Alright, my turn,” she takes a deep breath.  “W-why don’t you have a girlfriend?”

 _‘Ouch!  She went right for the jugular.’_ His face paling, “B-because I didn’t…  I-I…” _exhale_   “…was too afraid to ask you out.”  He feels her turn on her side, senses the stare even in the darkness but he gives her no chance to respond yet.  “Same question Luce.”

 _Sigh_ , “Because I was waiting for you to ask me out.  How long have you had a crush on me?”

“5th grade.”  Now her eyes widen, she thought maybe he might say high school but grade school!  “Same question Luce.”

“8th grade, PE class.”

Shocked, “You remember it down to the specific time?!” 

“It’s not your turn to ask a question, but the answer is yes.” He feels the bed shift as she turns to face away from him.  Even though she’s the one who started this, it’s still uncomfortable to say the least…  “I always thought you were cute, and you were already a close friend but…  that was the first time I saw you without a shirt on...”  she’s biting her lip at the memory and he can hear that slight mumble in the way she’s talking even though he can’t see it and his heart is beating as a fast as a hummingbird’s wings to finally know the truth.  “… and I remember thinking wow, you had really started to develop over the summer.”  _Exhaling_ “My turn.  If I asked you to hold me, right now, would you, do it?”

Thrilled by her question, his answer requires no verbal response as he spoons up behind her and puts his arm around her waist breathing out his next question, “What’s your favorite thing about me?”  expecting her to say maybe his personality or even his body which he keeps maintained just for her…

“Your hair and your eyes.”

“Seriously?  _‘Didn’t see that coming…’_   My hair?”

“I like the color.  Do you… want a girlfriend Natsu?”  

“Maybe…  If I asked you to be my girlfriend, would you say yes?”  His breathing stops in anticipation.

“Yes.”  Lucy can’t help but giggle when he lets the air back into his lungs.  “Were you that worried I’d say no?”

“Hell yeah, that’s why I’ve never asked you before.”

Taking a deep breath of her own, “Natsu, wanna know why I wanted to play 20 questions?”

“Yeah, kinda.”

“Because this way I could test your reactions…  cause, I was afraid you didn’t like me either…”

“What brought this on anyways?”

“I saw you checking out a girl at the café the other day and…” she bites her lip, “I was worried you were moving on…”

He squeezes her waist and buries his face in her hair.  “That girl just had a cool tattoo on her arm, so you needn’t worry Luce…  no one could ever take your place.”

She yawns and relaxes against him, “Could you give Gray a message?”

“What’s that?”

“Find a new roommate cause you’re moving in with me.”      

Natsu feigns shock, “Hold up, who said I’d agree to that?”

“Oh please, you can’t lie to me.  I know you’re thrilled about that idea.”

“Damn you know me too well…”  she giggles.  “Well if we’re moving so quickly why don’t we just get married too while we’re at it?”

She stops giggling and turns around in his arms.  “Are we still playing 20 questions?”

“Does it matter?  A question is a question.” 

But she punches his chest, “Ugh, you know a girl would prefer something more romantic if their being asked for their hand.” 

“Yeah and what about me made you think that was gonna happen?  I thought you knew me better?”

Lucy does her best to pout but can’t stifle the giggle, “Can’t fault a girl for trying.”

“So, are you gonna answer the question?”

Turning back over quickly, “Nope.”

“What!”  But she starts giggling.  “Ooh you!”  he pulls her onto her back and starts tickling making her laugh harder.  “You’re so mean to me!”

Doing the only thing she can’t think of to stop his torture she grabs his face and pulls his lips against hers.  It works as he stops to return the kiss.  Smiling, “of course the answer is yes Natsu, though it wouldn’t have killed you to try and be more romantic.”

“Fine.”  He climbs off the bed and starts to put his pants back on. 

“Wait!” Lucy scrambles to a sitting position fearing she pushed him too far.  “Where are you going?”

“I’ll be right back,” kissing her cheek.  “I’m taking your key so I can let myself back in.”

“But where are you going?”

“Don’t worry about it Luce, I just need to grab something from my apartment.”

 

Natsu leaves his nervous girlfriend hanging as he makes his way out. _‘How the hell am I supposed to come up with something romantic at 1 in the morning, no one’s open, and hell even if they were there’s no power!’_   Flying up the stairs at his building two at a time, he finds Gray talking on his phone to his girlfriend.

“Knew you’d be back!” he calls out as Natsu just bypasses him for his room like a man on a mission.

“I’m not, just came to grab some things.”

“Wait what?”  “Juvy I gotta call you back.”  Hanging up, he walks over to his friend’s room and sees a flustered man searching around in the closet.  “You’re goin back to Lucy’s?”

“Yeah.  Why is it so hard to believe?”  Gray can’t see what Natsu shoved into his pocket but can see him throwing some clothes into an overnight bag. 

“Whoa, you really are spending the night there!”  following Natsu to the bathroom where the man is adding other personal necessities to his bag.  Snickering, “I take it things are going well between you?”

“As a matter of fact, it is.”  Zipping up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.  “You know, maybe you should move in with Juvia.”

“Why, sick of seeing my face?”

“No, I’ll be moving in with Lucy...”  Grays mouth hangs open.  “…as soon as you find a new roommate or maybe move in with your girlfriend, like I am.” And now his jaw drops.  “Oh, and by the way yes she’s now my girlfriend and we’re engaged.”

Following Natsu to the front door, his friend grabs his arm, “Are you fucking with me?  That’s kinda rushing things, I mean you weren’t even a couple and now you’re moving in and getting married!” 

“Well not this second, but shit.  Even though we weren’t an official couple all these years you gotta admit it’s what we practically were.”

“Yeah but still…”

“Look, I gotta get back to her so can we talk later.”  He leaves his stunned friend behind.

 

When Natsu returns to her apartment, he finds Lucy in the kitchen making sandwiches.  He chuckles, “got hungry while I was gone?”

“MmHmm.” She mumbles through a bite.  “Want, I made for you too?”

He puts his bag on the couch and joins her.  “Awe, so romantic, deli meats by candle light…”  he grins.   She rolls her eyes as she takes another bite.  “But I’ll eat in a minute.”

“Suit yourself.” 

Walking up behind her he wraps his arms around her waist, “The candles are as romantic as this is gonna get,” and holds something shiny in front of her face, “Lucy Heartfillia, will you marry me?”  Lucy’s hand trembles as it puts down the rest of her sandwich and he lifts her left hand.  “Well?”

So, in shock she manages a fervent nod while he slips the ring onto her finger.  “H-how…  you couldn’t have bought this tonight?”

“I mugged a lady I found on the street.”  She slaps his arm.  Chuckling, “No I saw it, a couple of years ago at a store and thought it would look stunning on you.”

“T-two years ago?”

He turns her to face him.  “Well maybe more like several years ago… just in case this ever happened.”

“You had hoped for a power outage?”

“What?” laughing he tilts her head up, “So smart until those blonde roots get the best of you.  No, if I ever had the chance to be your boyfriend… and eventually your husband.”

“That story… it’s so romantic… you had been thinking about me like that for so long…”

He squeezes her waist again.  “I guess it’s a good thing you caught me checking out another girl…”

“Excuse me!” she tries to push him away, but he holds her firm. 

“Well it’s what prompted the 20 questions game, right?” she stops pushing.  “and led to this.  By the way, Gray thinks it’s crazy that we just hooked up and are gonna get married already.”

“Everyone chalked us up as a couple for years… so it’s not like we just met and rushed into things.”

Laughing, “I said the same thing!”

She tiptoes and kisses his grinning lips, “It’s scary how well we know each other…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired and written during an actual power outage we just had that lasted about 10 hours. Luckily my computer was fully charged. I hope you enjoyed it!


	15. Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Jan Ken Pon (Rock Paper Scissors) games and a chick flick lead to a revelation... NaLu Short story

Chanting at the same time, two friends are in a heated battle and the stakes are high…  But so far, they have tied four times in a row.  “Saisho wa gu, Jan ken pon!” Lucy throws a rock and so does Natsu; It’s a tie for the fifth time.  “Aiko deshou!” Lucy throws a paper and Natsu sticks with his rock.

“Paper wraps rock, I win!!!” Lucy fists bumps the air while sing-songing, “Ha, ha, I win, I get to pick, the movie!”

He immediately starts whining cause he knows the girly film she wants to watch is not even remotely close to something he’d rather see tonight.  “Come on Luce, one more round?”

"Too bad Natsu, you lost the game, so I get to pick this time.”

“But seriously?!  Why Burlesque?  I mean sure I don’t mind looking at half naked women but still…” Lucy punches his arm.  “Oww!  Well, if you don’t want me to drool over them, then pick another movie!”

With her hand on her cocked hip in her ‘not gonna back down’ stance, the blonde stares the boy down.  “I like this movie for Christina Aguilera and Cher’s singing.” 

Realizing he’s not gonna win, his shoulders slump, “Ugh, fine!  I’ll go make the popcorn…”  Natsu sulks away to Lucy’s kitchen while she smirks over her triumph.  Three weekends in a row he won their Jan Ken Pon battles and she got stuck watching a martial arts or action type movie.  Now it’s her turn to make him watch something she knows will drive him crazy. 

“Don’t forget the arare,” she calls out, “and the furikake, I made sure to buy some for tonight.  Oh, and mix it good, last time it was all clumped together.”

“Alright…” he yells back. “I’ll give you your damn Hurricane popcorn…” mumbling under his breath. 

Lucy walks up behind him, “Did you say something?”

 _‘Shit!’_ he stiffens, “I said I’ll make your hurricane popcorn…”

“Uh-huh…” opening the fridge door, “What do you want to drink?”

“Do you got Corona’s?”

“Want li hing mui in yours?”

“Yeah, if you got some.”

“Well you’re in luck cause I happen to have.”  Lucy knows it’s how he likes his beer, so she made sure to grab the salty sweet treat for their movie night.  “I’ll be waiting in the living room.”  She kisses his cheek and walks out with two bottles and the package of red seeds.         

If anyone looking in didn’t know better, the pair seem like an average couple, as in the romantic variety, just a boyfriend and girlfriend about to settle down for a relaxing night in with a movie.  But no, just friends they’d say if asked even though they were both lying through the smiles…  And tonight, like many others before it, a simple game of Jan Ken Pon, determined who got to choose the film. 

As Lucy walks out of the room, she doesn’t see Natsu put his hand to the cheek she kissed or the light shade of pink staining his ears.  The skin on his face is still tingling or is that sensation really his heartbeat fluttering?  _Sigh…_   They met her freshman year of high school when he was tasked with showing the new transferee around campus.  Pretty and sweet, she melded right in with his group of friends, and somewhere along the line, into his heart…  Like two peas in a pod, their bond grew quickly until they were practically inseparable and that continued through high school, through the college years and that’s where he finds himself now 10 years after that initial meeting.  But it’s not like they stayed single either, she’s had boyfriends, he a couple of a girlfriends, but neither ever made it very far into those relationships.  He didn’t know the reason hers never lasted but his was because, well, they could never compete with Lucy.   

 

“Here you go, just how you like it.” Natsu hands her the bowl and plops next to her on the couch.

She giggles and settles against him like she usually does.  “Thank you.”  Popping some in her mouth.  “Mmm…” licking the butter off her fingers, “Another yummy Natsu concoction.  Where’d you learn this recipe again?” 

“Oh,” he runs a hand through his hair to calm the nerves still teetering from watching her lick her fingers.  “I, um saw it on a cooking show from Hawaii.” 

“You don’t watch cooking shows.”

“Not normally, I just happened upon it when I was flipping channels.”

“Well I’m glad you saw it,” giggling again, “Cause it was a perfect fit to our movie nights.”  Holding up the remote ready to un-pause the movie she’s already queued up past the advertisements.  “Ready?”

“Yeah…”  _‘Ugh… chick flicks…’_

 

There were a few times, he’s not gonna lie, that he dozed off.  But they didn’t last long, not when every time something interesting happened in the movie; a song, a dance catching her attention and she squealed, laughed, giggled, or cuddled against him again, and now throw a new move into the mix, her legs over his lap.  He’d taken to putting his arm around her shoulder, on the off-beat chance of keep her still, but of course it didn’t.  All it did was to serve him a bigger dose of the sweats.  Couldn’t she hear the thumping from his heart whenever she snuggled to him?  Didn’t she feel the rise in his temperature when her skin contacted with his?  This is exactly, why he hated watching chick flicks!  When she watched the action stuff she wouldn’t get so lovey-dovey but these damn movies, it was like it turned on some torture gene inside her!  And the storyline, guy in friendzone, falling for a pretty _blonde_ …  Not helping 

Natsu’s eyes widen when the wedding scene shifts to Jacks apartment and he and Ali start making out.  _‘Oh, dear God!’_   he tips his head back and chokes back a groan, _‘I didn’t know there’d be a sex scene in this movie!’_   As if he needed more torturous images playing on the screen, he saw enough on the back of his eyelids every time he closed them.  The song, _‘Bound To You by Christina Aguilera’_ is playing…   _‘Sweet love, sweet love, Trapped in your love…’_

“Natsu?” a meek voice brings him back and he turns his head towards it.    _‘…You're all I need when I'm holding you tight…’_

“Yeah Luce?”  _‘…I am terrified to love for the first time, Can't you see that I'm bound in chains?..’_   He freezes and gulps; what her eyes are communicating is a yearning, a desire that he’s never seen directed at him from the blonde before.  “Wh-what’s that look for?”

Lucy bites her lip nervously, and this does not go unnoticed.  By now Natsu knows all her little quirks and this move is not just alluring but right now, down-right terrifying of what could be on the girl’s mind.  “Do you sometimes feel like Jack’s character?”   _‘…I'm strong and I'm sure there's a fire in us.  Sweet love, so pure…’_

 _‘Oh fuck!  Why is she asking me that…’_   “What do you mean?” he cups the back of his neck.  “Feel like what?”

She runs her hand over Natsu’s chest and he stiffens even more.  “Like when he sees Ali, the way Jack looks at her, because he likes her but tries to hide it…  Do you sometimes feel like that?”

“Is it getting hot in here…” he tries to stand, after all, his body temperature is rising, but her legs keep him pinned to the couch and stays put.   _‘…I found a man I can trust, And boy, I believe in us…’   Sigh_ , “Come on Lucy…  Wh-why are you asking me that question?” her stare is scrutinizing every word coming out of his mouth.  “Are you hoping the answer is yes or something?”

 _‘…All that I have been carrying all these years.  Do I risk it all, come this far just to fall, fall?...’_    “Yes…” 

Natsu stops breathing.  “You just said yes?”

Her eyes grow teary.  “Yes.”   _‘…And finally found my way, I am bound to you…’_

“Wholly shit you just said yes!” The excitement in his voice winds down, “Why’d you say yes?”

“What do you mean why?” she punches his chest.  “Why wouldn’t I say yes!  Did you want me to say no?!  Oh my God!” she hits him again and starts to scramble off his lap, “Please don’t tell me you don’t feel the same way I do…” but he grabs her around the waist to keep her from getting off. “…because that’s gonna be too embarrassing.”  He’s grinning and trying to stifle his laugh.  “Damn it,” she whimpers, “please just say something…” as the tears threaten to spill.

“What do you want me to say Luce?” his voice softens.  “How long I’ve wanted you?  How every time your close to me I wanted to kiss these lips…” he runs his fingers lightly over them.  “How you’re the only girl who could ever make me happy…”

“Natsu…”  Putting a finger to his lips to hush him.  “Then just shut up and kiss me already...” 

He happily obliges, finally he gets to really kiss the girl he’s been over the moon for!  Sweet and slow, their lips meet like two virginal teenagers trying it out for the first time.  Not that either are new to the game but in their case, it is a little awkward having been friends for so long first.  But that hesitation loses to the fire that had smoldered for far too long…  Lucy shifts herself onto his lap, straddling his legs and rolls her hips against his, inciting a low growl from the boy.  Is she trying to push things faster along?  Taking her actions as an approval to go further, his hands wander down to squeeze the ass that he’d longed to hold…  The blonde moans from his strong grip though her kisses, “God Luce, you smell so friggin good…” that have now moved on to his neck.  “So, do I get a strip tease like Jack did?” she bites his earlobe hard.  “Hey!”

“Maybe…” she purrs


	16. Blonde At 10 o'clock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy and Levy take trip to the beach for a day of relaxation and catching up, but the hottie lifeguard becomes too much of a distraction...

It wasn’t very often that the two besties got to just hang out anymore and relax.  Between work, school, and just life, conflicting schedules kept them apart save for text messages and social media.  So finally, and lucky for them it was a perfect day for it, the beach sounded like a great idea.  Get a tan…  Catch up on gossip…  Simply let the stresses melt away under the sun. 

They settled in the center of the beach near the life guard shack and had been lounging for a couple hours by the time shift change had arrived.  Levy was rambling about some new guy she just met.  A lot taller than her, singer in a band, long spiky black hair, tattoos and piercings…  “What is with you and those grungy guys Lev?”

The mousy young woman shrugs her shoulders, “I just like ‘um,” giggling, “It looks funny when we’re together, cause I only come up to his chest!” 

Lucy’s friend moves on to the first time she saw Gajeel performing…  She listens, for the most part until her attention falls on some new eye candy walking towards the lifeguard tower.  As her eyes follow the man, her friends voice drones out and is replaced by the sound of her heart beat fluttering.  She bites the corner of her lip, _‘Hot damn!  That guy is fine!’_   The young man walks with a certain air of confidence and smooth cadence in his stride; which walking in sand with slippers is no easy feat to pull off.  He dons the typical lifeguard uniform of the red and yellow surf shorts and matching tank top, but wears it well; the muscles of his back flexing, solid biceps, and unflinching calf muscles; he was totally, a surfer boy dreamboat!  Wild salmon colored hair… she sighs, wishing she could see his eyes that are hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.  He shakes the hand of the other dark-haired lifeguard, who she notices has the same symbol tattoo, maybe a frat mark or something?  It’s clear that these two know each other well as a goofy grin takes over his face; she turns her head, so she can listen in better to their conversation.  “Mellow wave action…  first time on this beach…  Toothache…  Blue, 2 ‘o’clock.  White, 4 ‘o’clock…  Guarantee cavity…  Blonde, 10 ‘o’clock…  yeah, no root canal so far…  hang out later…”  Fist bumping, the darker males takes his leave and the heartthrob pulls himself up the ladder.  _‘I wonder what they were talking about…’_

“Lu?”

“Huh?  Oh, sorry, you were saying?”

Levy giggles, “You have no idea what I was talking about do you?”  She looks up at the tower and smirks.  “Too busy checking out the hottie lifeguard?”

“I…” red blotches pop up on Lucy’s chest and face.  “… thought I recognized him from somewhere.”

“Oh yeah…” Levy cocks her head, “I think I know where.”

“Where?”  Expecting her friend to say high school or maybe college.

“In your dreams!”

“Oomph!  You!” Lucy starts tickling he friend.  “Take it back!”

“No… way!” Levy shrieks.  “Better stop it Lu…  you’re gonna attract his attention…”

She turns and looks and sure enough he is staring at them…  well she thinks he is, at least in their direction but it’s kinda hard to tell with those damn sunglasses on!  She stops tickling her friend.  “You win this time Lev…”  When she looks again, he’s grinning; she had caught his eye.

 

‘ _Mellow day, huh?  If that’s the case I’m gonna…’_   Just as he’s closing his eyes he hears a shriek and looks over at 10 ‘o’clock.  _‘Damn Gray was right…’_   The blonde was tickling her friend…  something…  _‘take it back’…  ‘attract his attention’…_   he grins a little, _‘I bet they’re talking about me…’_   This is exactly why he and his friend had come up with a simple code back in high school, so it would be harder to figure out they were talking about girls.  This system generally worked for them, and came in handy with the profession they had chosen.  Think about it, checking out the lovely ladies helped to pass the time, and they encountered a lot of them on a beach.  It was a simple ranking really, toothache meant pretty, cavity was gorgeous girls, and root canals were rare but was reserved for supermodel status chicks.  This girl was a cavity alright, and she looked awfully fine in the skimpy red bikini she was wearing…

 

Levy giggles and pokes her friend’s chest, “I bet he’s ogling your goodies Lu.”

“Shut up!” Lucy protests through a gritted smile, but if the darkening patches on her cheeks are any indication; she secretly hopes he is! 

“Well, I’m gonna tan,” Levy lays on her back and throws a pair of shades on.  “Wake me up if anything good happens.”

Lucy lies on her stomach, “Yeah sure…” and grabs a book out of her bag.  Picking up from where she had bookmarked earlier, she starts to read, hoping to get into the story and her mind off the handsome lifeguard…  _“…Oh yeah, so you think this will work?” he models the outfit for her.  The shirt is a white collared button down half sleeve that still shows off his muscular arms, a little tight in the chest area but with his body shape it was very sexy.  Dark gray slacks and black dress shoes complete the look.  He left the first couple of buttons open revealing a smooth chest underneath…_ Images of a pink haired guy all dressed up and she the girl on his arm invade Lucy’s mind.  She shakes her head trying to erase them like an etch-a-sketch as she reads on.   _…Lying in bed she ponders over the day. ‘I can’t believe I let him stay here, what was I thinking?  You’re attracted to him that’s why.  Hush conscious!  Okay so he is kinda dreamy, he’s just as goofy as…, kinda self-centered but still sweet, and a little brighter in the intellectual department which is nice.  He sure knows how to sweet talk a girl too…. Okay that’s enough I need to get to sleep already!’_ _Sighing she turns over on her side, hugging her pillow till she falls asleep.  A couple of hours later she wakes up feeling like someone’s in the bed with her.  She realizes there’s an arm around her waist, so she turns her head and sees blonde hair.  “What are you doing in my bed!?” Realizing she can see his bare chest, “Oh my God and your naked!” she yells as she turns red.  “I was lonely on the couch, so I came in here.” He murmurs.  “You’re nice and warm baby…” he falls back asleep…_  The sounds of giggling capture her attention and she looks up from her book, over to see two girls trying to flirt with the lifeguard.  Not wanting to stare she watches out of her side view and tries to listen in…

 

Once 10 ‘o’clock settles down with a book, Natsu leans back in his chair admiring the view.  The curves on the creamy blonde just screamed for attention, _‘maybe I could offer to put lotion on her…’_ he smirks to himself.  Never mind those skinny models, no give him a girl with an hourglass and this one was a perfect 10 in his eyes; boobs, hips and ass with a slim waist and long toned legs.  The fact she was reading a book was a plus to him.  He may not be a reader, but he’d rather date a girl with intelligence too.  _‘Yup,’_ the smirk grows, _‘definitely need to introduce myself later…’_   When a couple of girls walk up trying to talk to him, he shuts them down nicely, “Nope, sorry…  Not interested…  Working here…”  All the while keeping his eyes trained on the blonde…

 

After reading the same passage three times, Lucy gives up.  Every time something remotely cute, romantic, or intimate comes up in the story her mind tried to substitute him into the story; in other words, blonde guy became guy with pink hair…  She sighs.  “Pst.  Levy…” Lucy pokes at her friend trying her best to stay quiet, “Levy….”

“Hmm, what is it?”

“He keeps looking over here…”

Her friend yawns, “Why don’t you just go talk to him?”

Lucy motions with her eyes, “No way I’m gonna join the parade of girls…” Levy looks over and sees what her friend is pointing out.  “That’s like the 6th or 7th so far, all in a row.  It’s like when one or two gives up, the next one tries.”

“And he still keeps looking over here?”

“He hasn’t stopped looking.”

“I don’t know what to tell ya Lu, are you hoping he makes a move first?”

“Actually… I came up with an idea…” she whispers the details to Levy, who’s struggling not to giggle.  “So, will you help me?”

“It’s a bit extreme, but if you wanna do it, I’ll help you…”

 

He sees 10 ‘o’clock and her friend whispering to themselves.  Something tells him, this chick ain’t gonna try to talk to him like all these others that keep coming.  But it has nothing to do with being shy, no, she strikes him as having plenty of confidence if she needs it.  Maybe she’s waiting for a better opportunity?  Or maybe, she doesn’t want to be lumped in with these others.  He watches intently as the two girls get off their towels and head towards the surf; the waves might be mellow, but anything can happen in the blink of an eye… 

 

They wade out until the water is up to their chests.  “So now what Lu?”

“Patience…” she watches the man out of the corner of her eye, “we need to wait until he’s distracted.”

“Why?”

“Duh, cause, if he is still watching us, he’ll know if I wasn’t under water for very long.”  As they wait for the right opportunity to present itself, the two friends splash around and have a little fun. 

 

 _‘Man, I wish I was out there with them!’_   Natsu must admit he’s a bit jealous; just because he’s a lifeguard doesn’t mean he gets to swim often and who wouldn’t want to go play with a pretty girl?  That’s just bonus!  His mouth hangs open the longer he stares…  the sun glistening on her wet skin…  even from where he sits, he can see her big smile as she laughs and splashes her friend…  And the bounce of her, magnificent bosoms…  _‘Fuck!’_  

“Natsu?”

“Huh?”  he looks down and sees a face he hasn’t seen in a while.  “Lis?”

“Yeah,” the girl smiles, “my brother said you were a lifeguard here.”

“Oh, uh-huh…” he looks back at the water to check on 10 ‘o’clock and sees her pop out of the water again.  She’s slicking back her wet hair…  _‘Fuck, she looks good soaking wet!’_  To him it’s all moving in slow motion…  and the voice of this girl that’s talking to him drones out as images of he and the blonde, say in a shower…  tickle his mind…        

“So, I’m gonna be in town visiting for the week, would you like to hang out… like old times sakes?”

“Wait what?”  Old times sakes, all they were before was FTF’s.  He looks down at the girl in front of him.  “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

She nods, with a glimmer in her eye, “Why not…”

“Well…”  He whips his head to the sound of panicked screams and sees 10 ‘o’clocks friend turning her over in the water.  _‘Oh no!’_   Chastising himself for not paying attention he grabs his buoy and leaps from the tower.  “Sorry, Lis but the answer is no,” and rushes into the waves. 

Luckily the girls weren’t out too far, but the blue-haired friend is terrified.  By the time Natsu reaches them she has the blonde face up and barely keeping the girls head afloat.  “Please help her!”

Natsu grabs the blonde from behind, with one arm snaked around her chest and the other helping him to cut through the surf.  “What happened?” he asks the rattled friend, doing his best to keep calm himself.  They may train for this scenario, but he’s let this become personal. 

“W-we were trying to see who could hold their breath the longest and…  I don’t know maybe she passed out under the water.  Oh my God please, don’t let her die!”

“Just stay calm…” by this point he’s got the blonde to the sand and is placing her on her back.  “Just stay back okay, give me room to work.”  Levy nods as a small crowd has begun to gather around them, including Lis.  Natsu’s instincts and training kick in, he straddles her hips and leans down to see if he can hear water in her lungs; doesn’t seem like it.  Her heart is still beating, but she doesn’t seem to be taking in any air, so he begins mouth to mouth resuscitation.  Once, twice; the girls body is still limp, third time; fluttering under her eye lids, a fourth time…   

Without warning, arms wrap around his back, pulling him down and the CPR has turned into… a kiss!  Natsu’s eyes widen when he notices the chocolate orbs looking back up at him.  She smiles and runs her tongue along his lips to test his reaction…  That’s when he smiles too and reciprocates, parting his lips and allowing her tongue to venture in… 

Levy stands back smirking the whole time as a few flashes go off around her; it’s a guarantee these pictures are gonna end up on Instagram or something; lifeguard saves girl, girl thanks him with a lip-lock…  _‘Hopefully he doesn’t get in trouble…’_   Behind her, another girl turns and walks away with her shoulders slumped…

 

After a couple minutes Natsu slowly pulls away, the biggest grin plastered on his face.  “That’s the best thanks I ever had for saving someone…” he leans next to her ear whispering, “But I know you were faking it.”

She grins back, “Just thought you could use a break from the other groupies.”

“So, what’s your name Princess?” He stands and holds out his hand.

With his help she gets to her feet, “Lucy, and yours?”

“Natsu,” he does an exaggerated bow, “at your service.”

“Hmm…” she runs her hand along his chest, “does that include night games?”

“Damn girl you are a fiery one!  That’s so freaking awesome!”

She laughs and softens her gaze suggestively, “Am I sweet enough to give you a cavity?”  His jaw drops; busted!

He pulls her back into his embrace, “Nah, I might need a root canal instead…”


	17. Healing Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy gets the one news from her doctor everyone dreads; the "C" word...
> 
> Fic Writer’s Appreciation- January 2018 Writing Challenge Day 5  Growth

The words coming out of the doctor’s mouth scared her, no not scared, absolutely terrified the young woman.  ‘A small lump about the size of a pea…  Stage 1A Breast Cancer…  Treatments…’  Lucy can barely pay attention to what the man in the white coat is telling her.  The grip on her husband’s hand tightens, “Cancer…” she stammers.  Images of her mom hooked up to machines, tubes running from her arm to IV drips, hair fallen out, skin grayed in color the closer it came to the end…

Tears trickle down her face as Natsu does his best to comfort his wife.  “We’ll get through this together Luce…” he squeezes her hand, but the fear of leaving her daughter motherless, like she endured at a young age was too much for her.  She breaks down, sobbing heavily onto his shoulder as he coos, and rubs her back.  “Baby, we’re gonna fight this…”

“B-but Nashi…  Nashi’s only 3…  W-what i-if I don’t…”

“Lucy!” Natsu holds her out at arm’s length, “Don’t you dare say it.  You are not gonna die! 

“My mom…  My mom died from it!  You don’t know what it was like Natsu, to watch her get weaker, and sicker, to-to pass away…”

“Mrs. Dragneel,” the doctor interjects, “Please, I know being told the “C” word is scary enough, but we caught this early and with the available treatments, you have a 100% chance of beating it.”

“You see,” Natsu puts on a brave smile for his wife, “And don’t sound like you’ve given up.  My wife is a fighter, not a quitter.”  Emerald orbs drilling into her, requesting a response, “Right!”

She stares at him for a moment, blinking, shocked, even a little relieved.  The enthusiasm he’s exuding becomes infectious and Lucy can’t help but sigh and smile too, “You’re right Natsu.  But don’t say I didn’t warn you, it’s not gonna be easy.”

“ _Tch_ , when it comes to you Luce, I’ll accept any challenge…” he grins, “and win!”

“Keep that optimism Mr. Dragneel, a positive attitude can do wonders to heal the body.”

“Got it Doc.”

 

Once her father found out his daughter was diagnosed with cancer, he immediately brought in the best specialists from around the country.  Money was no object, it didn’t matter when it came to her.  Jude Heartfillia may not be the most loving father, but Lucy was his only child, and having already lost his wife, there was no way on Earth he was going to lose her too.

Surgery was scheduled to remove the invasive tissue and Brachytherapy radiation treatment was started immediately to try and kill the cells before they could grow or spread.  Further testing on the tissue showed they did not feed on hormones which was a good sign and meant Lucy would not need to take hormone replacement medications, making her recovery time easier and with less side effects. 

But even with the least invasive types of treatments, it all still took their toll on the young woman’s body, coupled with the emotional drain, it left Lucy sore and fatigued, barely able to function for a couple of weeks.  Natsu did his best managing the house and taking care of their 3-year old with help from Lucy’s best friend Levy, and her father even sent them cleaning services, saying Lucy couldn’t risk catching a cold.

Jude visited or called daily, an unusual sight and experience for his daughter from a man who worked constantly and barely had time to see his granddaughter.  But she appreciated the effort he was making, even if deep down she knew it was only temporary. 

Until one evening, after a week of treatments, Natsu and Nashi had fallen asleep watching a video after dinner, leaving Lucy the only one still awake.  The radiation was working it’s magic and according to the doctors, the tissues in the tumor bed were showing no new signs of any abnormal cells.  She was feeling better, enough to get out of bed for short periods of time, and on this night, Lucy decided to pick out a book from the living room to read before falling asleep.

The doorbell chimes and she answer’s it, surprised to see her father standing there.

“Father, what are you doing here so late?” she whispers, not wanting to wake up her husband and child.

“I just finished working and wanted to check on you.  Why are you out of bed?”

“I was grabbing a book to read…  Did you want to come in, I could make you coffee or tea.”

“Tea would be nice,” he smiles and follows her into the kitchen. 

After making them some chamomile, the father and daughter sit at the dining table.  He asks how her therapy is going, if there was anything she needed, simple questions to make conversation.  Lucy answers him calmly while sipping her tea, all the while wondering where they were leading.  She knew him all too well and just had the sense there was another reason for his visit.

“Dad,” she puts down her cup, “Wanna tell me the real reason for this late-night visit?  I know you didn’t just come from work, or you’d still have a suit on,” he had on khaki’s and a blazer or basically his home attire, “and I told you about the treatments earlier when you called after my doctor’s appointment.”

Jude sits back in his chair, not surprised that his daughter caught on to his rouse.  He sighs, “I was thinking about your mom…” leaning forward again.  “Lucy, I know I wasn’t around much while you were growing up, but that was selfish of me.” Another sigh.  “You looked so much like your mom and I was so heartbroken when she died, every time I looked at you it just…  hurt...” 

Tears pool in Lucy’s eyes.  She had always wondered why her dad was so distant, telling herself it was because of his work but to find this out, she didn’t know if she should be sad or angry or hell, which emotion would best suit this situation.  It wasn’t her fault she looked like her mother and for him to avoid her just because of that was cruel to a little girl.  But at the same time, maybe a part of her could relate in a way.  Nashi was so much like her dad and if Lucy were to lose Natsu, would looking at her be hard too, or vice versa? 

“… It wasn’t fair to you, but I hope one day you’ll forgive me for that.”

“Dad, I don’t hate you, and yes, as cruel as it was, I can understand where you’re coming from.” She reaches out to clasp his hand.  “You, being here now, means a lot to me.”

“Lucy when you were diagnosed with cancer,” he exhales, “it was like reliving the past all over again and I was damned if I was gonna lose you like I did her.  I’m just glad they caught it so quickly.”

“Yeah, the doctor said my last radiation will be in a few days, a few more daily checks for a couple weeks and if all the tests still come out negative, I’ll be switched to monthly checkups.  If there is still no sign after a year they’ll declare me cancer free.”  She smiles, “I’m positive that I’ll beat this thing.”

“I’m very proud of you...” He grips her hand and smiles, “and I know Layla would be too.  You’ve grown up to become such a strong young woman that I couldn’t ask for a better daughter.”

Lucy smiles, “Thanks dad.”  For him to say he was proud of her meant a lot to that little girl inside that always felt as though she’d never please him.

“Well I should be getting home, and you need to get back to bed young lady.”

“I will,” they stand up and she sees her father out. 

On her way back through the living room, she grabs the book she had almost forgotten about, and heads towards the bedroom when her husbands voice stops her.  “we’re all really proud of you Luce…” she turns, seeing the grinning goof she married peeking over the back of the couch.

“Oh yeah?” walking over to him, she leans down and plants a kiss on his lips, “Well I’m proud of you too Natsu.”

“Huh?  Why, I didn’t do anything.”

“For handling all this, for not panicking, for having faith in me…  for taking care of everything while I was down; take your pick.” She kisses him again.  “I don’t think I could have gone through all this without you by my side.”

“For better or for worst…” He reaches up and cups her cheek, “…I meant every word when I said I do…”


	18. Money or Happiness?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's often a choice we must make in life, to choose a career that pays well but maybe you don't enjoy, or a job that pays decent but that you just absolutely love...
> 
> Fic Writer’s Appreciation- January 2018 Writing Challenge Day 12  Self Love/Improvement- AU Gruvia Short

Now in her late-twenties, Juvia had finished college with a master’s degree in Physiotherapy, found a job in her field in their hometown where many of their friends still lived, and was engaged to her high school sweetheart; life couldn’t be better for the young woman.  Day in and day out she went to work, came home, and repeated the routine, they hung out with friends often, with lots of cookouts, movie nights, and even the occasional get away.  But something was missing in her life, so her fiancé suggests she take up a hobby, something that makes her happy, like swimming.  She was a champion swimmer all through college and in fact her skills in the water are what paid her way through school.  Juvia hadn’t had a chance to take it up until one day her fiancé Gray noticed a new gym opening in town, and one with an indoor pool. 

So, for her birthday, he surprises her with a year membership to the gym and encouraged her to go, at least a couple times a week to melt away any stresses that had built up.  Even better a few of their friends, Lucy and Natsu, Levy, Erza were all members as well and she’d often run into them.  It became a fun routine for the young woman with twice a week cardio with the girls and freestyle swim on three on her own, sometimes joined by others.  In just a couple of weeks, Gray noticed the difference in his fiancé, like his old Juvy was coming back; more relaxed and much happier.         

She made friends with the regular swimmers, even a few from the old high school team that still enjoyed the water for recreation.  But most of the pool-goers were regular people of varying skill.  Often, she would find herself giving out pointers on form and techniques, especially when the person wanted to get a real exercise out of it, she could tell them how to gain the most without over exerting themselves.  It made her feel great whenever she could help someone out and eventually staff from the gym took notice and approached her, explaining they had considered starting up classes but didn’t have an instructor. 

Juvia agrees to give it a shot, working at the pool part time with 2 adult classes during the weekdays and a kid’s class on Saturday afternoons.   The swim instructor was an instant hit, with her classes always full, especially the children’s class with so many parents thrilled to finally have somewhere they could take the kids to learn.  In fact, the classes became booked so quickly, the gym realized they needed to expand the program and she helped to talk an old teammate from the high school team into teaching as well.

Things went on this way for months until one day, after class, the manager of the gym stopped her on the way to the locker room.  A lifeguard they had on staff just quit and the woman wanted to know if Juvia would be interested in the full-time position.  She already had all the certifications required to be a lifeguard, but the salary would be a little less than what she was making at her Hydrotherapy job.  She could continue her classes if she wished on her off days, at the hourly rate they were already paying her to make up the difference. 

It was a difficult decision to take a cut in pay, but she didn’t want to make any decision without talking it over first with her fiancé.  Gray had been supportive up till now while it was a part time activity, but to quit her job for this?  All those years in college would be for naught.

As they settle into bed for the night, she explains the managers offer and the first thing Gray asks her is will it make you happy.  Yes, she believed it would, she responded.  Helping people while doing what she loved, teaching people, especially the kids to participate in an activity she was born to do, it all made Juvia extremely happy.  And in a way, her skills as a therapist could still be used at the pool. 

“Then it’s a no-brainer Juvy,” Gray takes her hand and kisses it, “I would rather you have a job you love going to, than stay in a position just for the pay.”

“Are you sure?  Do you really think it’ll be okay, financially for me to do that?”

“Yes,” he smiles, “we’ll be fine.  If you are happy, I am happy and that is more important.  Besides, how could I not love this swimmers body,” he grins and tickles her waist before pulling her closer. 

When he leans in to plant a kiss on her lips, she blushes, “Oh Gray…”

~~~~

The next morning, she calls the manager, “Juvia will take the job!” 


	19. Alone No More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy's a healer from a small village that runs away from her cruel father who finds and helps a wounded dragon who shows her a new life, one where neither of them need to feel alone anymore... 
> 
> Fic Writer’s Appreciation- January 2018 Writing Challenge Day 13 Magic- AU Fantasy NaLu 6K+ words

“God, I hate him!” she screams to no one but the birds chirping away overhead. 

As she trudges through the forest, Lucy shifts the heavy sack she carries, filled with whatever possessions she could take in her haste to leave.  It has been almost a week since she had run away from her village and her father and since he is most likely searching for her, the young girl is constantly on the move staying as far away from any roads or travelled paths to avoid being found.  Tired and thirsty, she stops along a small river is thrilled with the cool liquid quenching her parched throat. 

After filling her water-gourd she sits back just to rest for a spell since her feet are aching from all the walking and close her eyes, enjoying the rays of the sun.  Exhaling, Lucy has no idea where she is heading, but just this small taste of freedom makes her feel better.  And that’s when the sound of a twig snapping catches her attention.  Worried it could be someone looking for her, she stands up ready to grab her bag and go, but no one comes out of the bushes.  A second sound of disturbed foliage, followed by a whimper, like someone or something in pain. 

Now that’s something the healer cannot ignore.  Lucy picks up her sack and cautiously pushes her way through the underbrush.  “Is someone hurt?” she calls out.  “if you are don’t be afraid, I can help you.”  Nothing responds, but as soon as she makes it into a small clearing, the sight in front of her stops her advancement; a red dragon.

 _‘But dragons have all gone extinct,’_ she ponders, _‘right?  Tch, clearly not unless my eyes are deceiving me.’_   The dragon has frozen in place, lowering its head ready to attack if prompted.  Lucy puts her bag down and holds her hands out to show she is not a threat.  “I won’t hurt you,” softening her voice, “I promise.”

Scanning over the creature, it appears to be about 8 feet tall with the girth of a bull, wings folded down over its back, large claws on its feet, and a long snout.  But as she looks closer, the young girl can see a large wound to one of it’s wings.  Maybe it was attacked by another animal or possibly even poachers or hunters thinking they had lucked into such a rare and priceless find. 

“Please don’t be frightened,” still holding out her hands, she slowly inches her way towards it.  “My name is Lucy and I’m a healer, do you understand?”  Watching its reactions, the dragon stays hunched but still doesn’t move.  “I can fix your wing if you let me.”  Close enough now to touch it, she allows the dragon to smell her hands, it snorts, and lies all the way down.  “Thank you, Mr. Dragon, this might hurt at first, but I swear on my mother, you’ll be good as new in a few minutes.”

The dragon simply watches as the young girl utters a string of incantations and her hands start to glow.  As she lays them over the wound, it feels a slight burning, tingling sensation, and now the area around the wing begins to glow as well, the wound slowly closing-up.  She continues to mutter the strange language with her eyes closed until the injury is completely healed. 

Finally, she steps away, no longer glowing, “all better.”  Lucy smiles when the dragon sits up and stretches out the wing as if examining the leathery appendage.  It turns to her, is that a smile on its face?  But that’s the last thing she remembers thinking before passing out from the drain on her energy. 

~~~~~

When Lucy opens her eyes again, all she can see is darkness and feels something warm against her, or more like she is resting against a large warm body.  She narrows her eyes, trying to adjust to the conditions around her and after a couple minutes, they begin to focus.  A very dim illumination, possibly moonlight comes into view, telling the young woman it is already evening, and with that, an outline of the dragon she helped earlier finally confirms what she had assumed all along.

 _‘I must have passed out again,’_ healing such a large magical creature must have taken more energy than she had expected, _‘and it brought me here?’_   Looking around a little, _‘But where is here?  Oh no my belongings!’_   Lucy tries to get up quietly, but the dragon wraps it’s tail around her keeping her close.  “Look, thanks for watching over me when I fainted but I need to get my things, that bag had everything I own in this world.” The dragon snorts and points with one its claws near the entrance.  Lucy squints and sees the bag.  “Oh, thank God,” she breathes a sigh of relief.  “But really, could you please let me up?  I know it’s nighttime, but I need to find food, or I might pass out again.” 

Again, the dragon snorts but stands up. “Thank you,” she takes a step, but it blocks her path.  “What, I thought…” It taps the ground with it’s foot.  “I don’t understand…”  It pushes her back a couple feet with its tail and taps its foot on the ground a second time.  “You want me to stay?  But I need food…” Without another gesture, the dragon walks out of the cave.  _‘Great,’_ Lucy thinks, _‘Well hopefully it comes back with something.’_

While Lucy waits for the dragon to return, she grabs her bag and pulls it closer to where they were resting and searching through it’s contents, the young healer finds her glow wand; now at least she has some light.  She leaves the mouth of the cave and finds a dense pine forest surrounding it, and based on the temperature, it’s probably a little higher in the mountains than most would travel to.  She shivers and rubs her arms, maybe she should try to get a fire going? 

Searching through the brush and bushes, she grabs as many twigs and sticks as she can carry, hauling them back to the cave.  But getting a fire started is not exactly easy.  Because of the higher elevation, the foliage of the area is damp and all she is managing to produce is some smoke.  “Ugh!” she tosses the flints to the ground, opting to simply wrap herself up in a blanket until the dragon returns.

Luckily for the girl, that doesn’t take long; a rush of air into the cave signals its flighted return.  The dragon walks up to her and drops a nice sized hare at her feet.  “Wow, thanks…  But I can’t eat it raw.”  It snorts and picks the rabbit back up going to the entrance before dropping it and blows a stream of fire onto it, cooking it well.  “Awesome!” Lucy shrieks, “Can you help me with that too?” and points to her pile of sticks.  “So, I can see while I eat?”  The dragon obliges and easily sets it ablaze.  “Yay!” she throws her arms around its neck, “Thank you!” 

She’s a little surprised when the dragon turns its head and seems to nuzzle her back as she hugs it.  _‘It’s such a sweet dragon…’_ she tightens her grip, _‘and to think all the stories said they were mean and that’s why humans wiped them out…’_

When she lets go, the dragon simply goes back to lying down where it had been, so Lucy takes the rabbit and a knife from her bag, to remove the outer fur and skin.  It was nice and hot, “Mmm… so yummy,” she groans, “I haven’t had any meat since I left my village.”  The dragon simply watches her while she eats and talks…

“If your wondering why a young girl would be roaming through a forest unaccompanied, it’s because I ran away from home,” Lucy looks up from her food.  “I don’t even know why I’m telling you this, or if you can understand anything I’m saying but, it’s kinda nice to talk to someone and, I just have this strange feeling like I can trust you.”  The dragon tilts its head slightly before resting it on the ground as if to say, continue.  “You see my father, he was pressuring me to marry some guy from a neighboring village that I’ve never met before, just so he could combine our clans.  I told him off.” She sighs, looking down at the ground, “My mother would have never allowed him to do it, but she died when I was little.  Ugh!  He treats me like some possession he can simply barter away, and to think I am his only child.  I mean what kind of parent does that?” Another sigh.  “But anyways,” smiling again, “He can’t force me to do anything, I’m an adult whether he likes it or not and I have my own aspirations for my life and thanks to my mom, I’m stronger than he is.”  Lucy makes her hand glow, “I inherited her healing gifts when she died,” the glowing stops, “and her love of the stars.  Looking back at the dragon.  “One day, I’ll settle down, have children, but it will be on my terms, with whomever I fall in love with.”  She chuckles, “Maybe I’ll even catch me a Prince.”        

She throws the bones and scraps into the fire and walks over to the creature, sitting in front of it.    “Anyways, are you all alone?” staring into it’s emerald green eyes, “I’ve only heard legends about mean dragons before.”  Lucy leans back and smiles, “But you’re really nice, I’m glad I ran into you.”  With a big yawn, she stretches her arms above her head, “I guess I should get some sleep now that I’ve eaten.” Lowering her gaze, her voice softens, “You won’t leave me alone, will you?” 

Without a second of hesitation, the dragon reaches out with its front legs and scoops her up, placing her against it’s side before wrapping its tail around her too.  “Good night,” Lucy murmurs as she snuggles in, and the dragon curls its head, closing its eyes. 

~~~~

The next morning, the dragon wakes up the sleeping blonde, nuzzling her with it’s snout.  She stretches and yawns with a smile, “Good Morning.”  It had been the most peaceful sleep she had had in a long time, maybe years. 

Standing and stretching a second time, now in the light of day she can see her surroundings better.  It had brought them to a simple cave, but based on some of the claw marks and compacted soils in some areas, it was no random cave.  “Do you live here?” inquiring of the creature, “Is this your home?”  It shakes its head, no.  “You just come here a lot?”  The dragon looks down.  “So, if this isn’t your actual home, where would that be?”  It looks towards the cave entrance.  “Somewhere else?” Lucy asks.                     

Prompting the young girl with its snout and tail, it pushes her towards it’s back.  “You want me to get on, your back?” she looks at the dragon.  Again, it’s tail prods her movement as if to say hurry up and get on.  “Alright,” she manages to climb up using its back leg as a step, and once on top she looks around for some way to hold on.  The scales around the top of its neck are tiled, it’s her best option.  “Please, don’t forget my things.”  Picking up the strap of her bag with its teeth it walks out of the cave and takes flight once clear.                                 

It soars high into the powder blue sky, heading towards the East.  “Wow!” she giggles, “This is so cool!”  To experience something that no human could dream of doing was amazing; she hugs his neck, “It feels so free up here…” 

As they travel, Lucy spends half of the time hugging to the dragon and the other watching the landscape pass under them.  It had taken them to a cave high in the mountains so as they descend, it flies over the forest, passes fields, and rivers, and a couple of small villages.  But soon a large one comes into view.  “Isn’t that the capital?”  She had only been there once when her father wanted her to be eye candy for some potential commodity brokers.  “You live in Kelekona?!” asking again.  Of course, it can’t respond to her question, but the answer becomes clear when it heads directly for the palace. 

“Wait, there’s no way…”  _‘This dragon’s home is at the palace?!’_   “…the palace is your home?!”

The dragon lands in one of the enclosed courtyards and as Lucy slides off, they are greeted by a palace guard.  “Ah, Natsu, you’ve returned.  King Igneel will be happy to see you.” Turning to Lucy who is nervously glued to his side, “and you’ve brought a guest,” the man grins, “Well, come in, you know where to find the King I’m sure,” and walks away. 

“N-natsu?” Lucy makes her way to the creature’s front, “Your name is Natsu?”  It blows out a puff of air.  She smiles, “At least I have a name to call you now.”

The young woman follows Natsu through the palace, simply amazed at the grand edifice.  Having grown up in a small village, such a large and stately place like this was worlds apart from what she knew.  But she was still curious about why they were here, was this dragon like a royal pet or something?  Palace staff greet the dragon when they pass by, even bowing to it like you would a royal guest and when they see her, many grin.  _‘Why are they looking at me like that?’_ she wonders…

 

“Ah!  Natsu where have you been?” the king hugs the dragon.  “And who is this?” smiling at Lucy, “I have to say it’s a shock that Natsu brought a girl home.”

The young blonde blushes, “My name is Lucy, I sort of stumbled onto him when his wing was injured.”

The king frowns and shakes his head at the dragon who lowers its gaze, “Did you help him?”

“Yes,” she responds, “it took a lot out of me, but his wing is all healed.”

“Well, then,” King Igneel shakes her hand, “I am in your debt.  I don’t know what I would do if something happened to Natsu.”  The dragon snorts, or huffs as if it’s annoyed. 

“F-forgive me for asking but, how is it that a dragon lives in the palace?  He’s not some pet or anything because that would be wrong.”

King Igneel bellows with laughter, “No, no my dear,” he’s laughing so hard, his eyes are watery, “Natsu is just very special to me.”

“But…”

“Come,” the king grins and gestures for them to follow, “let me show you to a suite miss Lucy, you are welcomed to stay as long as you wish since Natsu seems to have taken a liking to you…”

 

The suite that King Igneel takes her to makes her heart jump, it’s bigger than her house back home!  “Are you serious?  I get to live, here?” she turns back to the King.  “But this is huge!”

The man laughs, “Well on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“Technically, this is Natsu’s room, you’ll be sharing it with him.”

Lucy looks over to the dragon who has settled down near the bed and smiles.  “I don’t mind having Natsu for a roommate.” 

“Then it’s settled.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.  You are welcomed to anything here.  Servants will notify you before meals.  If you need to purchase anything just ask.” He looks at her bag, “and I have a feeling you will,” he taps his chin, “in fact I will send someone to take you shopping later.” He smiles and grins at the dragon, “I’m sure Natsu will like it when your dressed like a lady of this court.”  The dragon snorts and turns its head away.  Lucy blinks, if Natsu were human, she’d swear he was blushing right now.

“You’re too kind,” she bows to the king, “I don’t want to be a burden.”

“Nonsense,” he waves his hand, “Your healing skills will be a great addition to the palace staff as well.”  

Once the king has left, Lucy takes in the expansive room for herself.  It holds such beautiful furnishings, a large 4 poster bed, dripping with luxurious sheer draperies in reds and golds and the royal seal emblazoned on it’s headboard.  Matching nightstands, armoires, dressers, a gilded mirror, everything and more that you’d expect in a palace bedroom. 

There is an adjoining bath, and a walk-in closet half filled with men’s clothing and accessories _.  ‘I wonder whose clothes these are…’_ she ponders as she brushes her fingers against them.  Some every day wear but many are fit for a king, _‘or prince?’_   And even more curious to her, the other half of the closet is empty as if they knew she was coming.  Lucy shakes her head, impossible, this is probably just an extra room they could let the dragon use while here since it was big enough. 

As her exploration of the room progresses, the young girls stomach begins to grumble reminding her she hadn’t eaten breakfast and it was almost lunch time.  Natsu, who had been watching her the whole time, perks up and walks over to her, nudging at her side.  “Yeah, I am getting hungry again.” Lucy smiles at Natsu, who starts pushing her towards the door.  “What are you doing?  The king said a servant will be by to announce lunch, I can wait…”  But that doesn’t deter the dragon who continues to push.  Lucy plants her feet, “Natsu, stop it.  I-I don’t want to inconvenience….” Finally, the dragon blows out a puff of air and picks her up with its tail, and places her on its back.

“Natsu,” she tries to slide off, but the tail holds her down, “This is embarrassing...”  Sure, it had been fun while they were flying and no one was really looking, but riding on the back of dragon, it was quite un-lady like.  Ignoring her pleas, Natsu saunters out of the room and heads to, she assumes the kitchen.  Down hallways and corridors, passing room after room.  Each time they encounter a staff member Lucy hides her face.  The young woman doesn’t know anyone yet and doesn’t want to be looked upon as strange. 

Eventually, the smells of food cooking reach her nose and she can’t help but salivate from whatever delicious aromas were beyond the doorway.  Natsu stops and lays down to make it easier for Lucy to slide off, then points with its snout to the door.  “Go in there?” she asks.  He pushes her gently with his snout.  “O-okay…”

With a little hesitation, Lucy walks into the bustling kitchen with Natsu now taking up the doorframe.  “Hello?” she calls out, “I-I was wondering…”

“Oh Hello!” a pretty young woman with white hair peeks her head out of a pantry door.  “You must be Lady Lucy, are you hungry?”  She walks out with a few loaves of bread in her arms.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I guess my stomach doesn’t want to wait for lunch.”

“It’s no bother,” the woman puts her loaves on a counter.  “My name is Mira,” She smiles, “and my kitchen is always open.”  

“Thank you, Mira.  Um, how did you know who I was?”

“Oh,” she waves her hand and chuckles, “Word spreads quickly here, especially since it was Natsu who brought you.”  Mira looks over to the dragon.  “Are you hungry too?”  The dragon nods.  “He’s always hungry,” she whispers to Lucy, “I’ll whip you up something, Natsu be a dear and take Lucy to the smaller dining room.”

“I can help you Mira…”

“No, no,” she guides the blonde back to the door, “just follow Natsu, it won’t take me long.”

“Thank you again, Mira.”

“You are very welcome.”

 

After lunch, the King sent her with his seamstress, tailor, and a couple others with instructions that Lucy be given a full makeover, fit for life as a courtier.  Armfuls of dresses so lavish the young woman couldn’t believe they were considered simple day wear, shoes, undergarments, anything a young lady would need; and this was just to get her started.  The seamstress and tailor took her measurements for more custom attire.  A jeweler furnished beautiful earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets, to match the clothing.  And finally, her hair was revitalized, done up, make up applied and Lucy simply didn’t look like the same girl anymore. 

“Wow!” she shifted from side to side in the mirror, “Is that really me?”

“ _Tch_ ,” Aquarius the seamstress snickers, “Who else would it be?  Just be grateful to King Igneel.”

“Oh, I am,” Lucy beams, “But thank you all, Mr. Capricorn, Mr. Cancer, and most of all Ms. Aquarius!  I feel like I’m in a fairytale!”

Capricorn, “Lady Lucy, I will escort you back to the palace while they finish up here.  Everything will be delivered to your room by dinner.”

“Okay,” she follows the tall, stately gentleman out, “Thanks again!” she waves at the other two.

But when they reach the palace, Lucy sees a quaint garden and asks to wander through, so Capricorn nods and heads back to the seamstress.  Such a peaceful area, with pathways, and statues, small streams and bridges, benches scattered around, even a couple gazebo’s.  _‘Maybe one evening I’ll come out here to star gaze…’_

Lucy didn’t realize that the garden was just below her room, and when Natsu caught wind of her scent he looked over the balcony, watching her meander along the paths.  She was almost back where she started when a palace guard stepped out from under a tree.  “Hello gorgeous.”  The orange-haired man saunters up, “Your loveliness fits in well to such a picturesque scene,” and kisses her hand.

 _‘Oh, brother’_ , she rolls her eyes, “And you are?”

“Leo,” he bows, “at your service anytime, day _or_ night,” he winks. 

“Well Mr. Leo it was nice meeting you, but I should go.”

“What’s the rush,” Leo closes the gap between them, until she can literally feel his breath against her skin.  Tipping her head up, “Do you…”

A whoosh of air and a thud startles them as Natsu lands at her side and physically pushes the man back.  The dragon growls low, protective over the girl.  “Natsu!” Lucy clings to his neck happy to be saved from the pervert. 

“Hey!” Leo puts his hands up in defense, “Sorry I didn’t know she meant that much to you Natsu.”  He backs away, “Won’t bother her again, I promise.”  Natsu snorts at the back-peddling guard.   

“I’m so glad you’re here!” Lucy snuggles her face into Natsu’s neck and he nuzzles her back.  “So,” she steps back and twirls for him, “How do I look?” Natsu nuzzles her face again.  She giggles, “I take that as you like it?”  he snorts.  “Yeah me too.”

 

True to his word, everything they had purchased that day was stocked in her closet by dinner and two servants named Aries and Virgo were assigned to her.  “My goodness, this is all too much!” Lucy whines as they dress and get her ready for dinner.  “I’m not a Princess, why is the King being so kind to me?  I-I’m really no more special than any other staff member.”  Her eyes widen, “He doesn’t fancy me, does he?!”

“No miss,” Aries assures her, “The King has his Queen and you will meet Grandeeney tonight.”

Lucy exhales, “That’s a relief.  But then why is he doing all of this?”

Virgo, “Natsu is…” she looks at Aries for a second as if confirming her words before turning back to Lucy, “ _special_ to the king and since Natsu brought you here, that makes you special too.”

The healer scans over to the dragon who has suspiciously turned its head away, as if to avoid looking at her, “What does that even mean?”

Aries, “I’m sorry miss but we cannot say, perhaps you should ask the King.”   

“Yeah,” Lucy swears she hears Natsu sigh, “I think I will…”

 ~~~

After a private dinner with the King, Queen, and their daughter, Princess Wendy, Lucy requests to speak with the two royals alone.  Natsu, who had curled up near her chair looks up when they lead her to an adjoining parlor.  The royals sit on one couch and Lucy is gestured to another facing it. 

She starts off by thanking them for all their hospitality but, “I mean no disrespect by this, but I don’t understand why I am being treated so well.  I am a commoner, no noblewoman or royal, and yet to be dressed like a courtier, be given servants, it’s all too much.”

The King laughs, “I’ve never seen someone complain about being pampered before.”

Lucy flushes, “I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean for it to sound that way,” blowing her head, “everyone has been so kind to me and I really haven’t done anything to deserve such special treatment.”

“On the contrary my dear,” Grandeeney responds, “Natsu feels you are special and therefore so do we.”

“But, still, I don’t want to be a burden, I-I’ve only known how to work to survive, not be catered to.” _Exhale_ , “This lifestyle is very different than what I am used to.”

King Igneel, “I told you earlier, we will call upon you if your healing abilities are needed, besides, keeping Natsu company, and if you can keep him from wandering away from here, that would be a blessing.”

“Yes,” Grandeeney adds, “We always worry when he goes off on his own.  He may be a dragon, but he is young and reckless, often getting into mischief.”

“I guess I can do that.  May I ask, how long have you known Natsu?”

“Since he was born, oh, 22 years now.”

Lucy giggles, “He’s only a year older than me!”    

“Speaking of which,” Grandeeney looks over to the door, “I believe we should finish this conversation before he gets any more anxious from your absence.”

The young woman follows the Queens eyes and sees the tip of a snout peeking past the doors frame.  She chuckles, “Natsu?  We can see you.”  He sticks his head around the frame now.  Lucy waves him over and he quickly bounds in, excited.  She stands up and walks over to him, hugging his neck, “Awe did you miss me?” he nuzzles her back.

King Igneel smiles at his wife before turning his attentions to the pair.  “He’s never warmed up to a stranger so quickly, Lucy you truly have an effect on him.”

“All I did was heal a wound,” she smooth's the skin around his muzzle and snout, “He’s the one whose taken care of me ever since.”  Smiling, she leans her cheek against his and closes her eyes for a moment.  “It had drained a lot more of my energy than I had expected to fix his wing, so I passed out.  Natsu took me to a cave and watched over me until I woke up.  He caught a rabbit so that I could eat, kept me warm until morning, and now,” she opens her eyes again, “brought me here to you, wonderful people.  It is I, that is in his debt.”

Grandeeney, “Will you tell us a little more about yourself Lucy, like why were you out in the woods alone?”

She sighs, “I was running away from my village.”  Giving one more caress to Natsu’s face, she goes back and sits on the couch while he lies down and waits.  “My father wanted me to marry a man to further his own agenda and I refused, but I could only fight back for so long, so, I ran a week ago.” looking over at the attentive dragon, “And that’s when I came across Natsu.  I have no idea how he got his injury, but it was bad enough that he wouldn’t be able to fly.”  Grandeeney shoots the dragon a look that makes him turn away, like a child getting scolded by a parent.  “I worry that my father will find me and try to make me go home.”

“That won’t happen.” King Igneel declares in no uncertain terms, “as long as you are here, you are under our protection.”

“Thank you.” Lucy smiles

“No, thank you Lucy,” Grandeeney, “for bringing Natsu home to us…”

 

Aries and Virgo help Lucy out of the binding formal dress so she can take a bath before bed.  Virgo even scolds Natsu, warning him that he better not peek.  He huffs and turns away.  Lucy finds the exchange odd, I mean he is a dragon not a man, but she puts it out of her mind.

It had been a long day for her, and when she hits the soft bedding, her eyes drift shut ready for sleep to take her away, and yet it doesn’t.  She opens her eyes, letting them fall on the dragon curled up beside the bed, remembering the peaceful slumber she had the night before. 

Lucy grabs a pillow and comforter and snuggles herself against his warm body, “Good Night Natsu…”

~~~xx~~~

It’s been almost a full year since Natsu had brought Lucy to Kelekona but to her, it was like a lifetime ago.  She had met so many people and made so many friends not only in the palace but in the city that time had simply flown by unnoticed.  Some of the closest was a girl named Levy who loved reading about as much as Lucy did, Gray, Erza, Cana, Yukino; just too many to name. 

But nothing topped the close bond that she and Natsu had developed.  From the moment they met, the pair was inseparable, and the only times he left the city walls, was if Lucy was with him.  She loved it when he took her flying, especially at night, and sometimes he’d land on a high mountain peak, so she could stargaze.

Even when it came to bedtime, Lucy rarely slept on the bed, opting to cuddle against her dragon instead.  Something about him made her feel relaxed, safe, and dare she say it, loved.  Anytime they were around other people, he was very protective, especially when it came to males.  Leo had only been the first to witness such a display of territorialism, but he wasn’t the last, and a few didn’t walk away unscathed.  She didn’t always like it when he acted aggressively, and she’d end up using her healing abilities to make sure there was no lasting damage, but at the same time, it made her heart flutter, like the knight protecting his beloved.  Her life was so blissful, the reason that triggered this adventure had already become a distant memory.

_Until the message came._

Natsu was out getting food again while Lucy relaxed in their room with a book when a servant brought her a letter addressed to her but with no sender.  Curious, she opens it and immediately the tears burst forth, her father was demanding she come home or he will send mercenaries to kidnap her the moment she leave the palace grounds.

The letter flutters from her hand to the ground as she covers her face, sobbing hysterically.  How could he be so cruel?  Would he really send thugs to kidnap her?  Every fiber of her being screamed yes, so what should she do?  Should she tell the King? 

Just then Natsu comes running in, did he hear her cries, did he smell her tears?  Lucy flings herself on him, hugging to his neck.  Oh, how she wished he could talk!  But that’s okay, she was doing plenty of her own, broken and muffled through her sobs, but the emotions poured out like a broken fountain. 

“He says he’ll have me kidnapped, I-I can’t go back, I just can’t!  But what do I do, I can’t hide forever.” Her grip around Natsu tightens, “and I don’t want to be separated from you…”  He nuzzles her back.  “God, I wish you could talk, I wish you could tell me it’ll be alright.  I know if I’m with you I’ll be safe but just to hear it…” Lucy slumps to her knees.  “…would make me feel better.” 

The dragon paces for a few minutes as if it’s contemplating what to do.  She doesn’t know it but Natsu understands everything and it’s killing him that he can’t pull her tight and tell her what she wants to hear.  He wants to soothe her pain.

“Natsu?”  the dragon stops and walks back to her.  “If something happens,” she caresses his cheek, “and they do take me away…” he struggles, agitated by just the thought of men taking her from him.  “Natsu,” she cups his snout, “stop.”  Putting on a forced smile, “you made me so happy, that no matter what, I will always love you.”

Lucy kisses his nose and seals their fates forever.

A soft iridescent glow covers the dragon, envelopes his whole body in a serene aura.  Concerned, she reaches out to touch him, “N-Natsu?”  When her finger tips make contact with his skin, a jolt of energy surges through the blonde and she pulls back in shock, not from pain, she felt no malice, only the opposite; the emotion she felt in that rush was love, pure, and unending. 

Right before her eyes, the dragon’s body transforms, shrinking, elongating, changing.  The form of a human male begins to take shape, curled slightly on the ground, taller than she, muscular, lightly tanned smooth skin, pink spiky hair on his head and a few on his body…  Lucy is mesmerized and a little mortified at the naked guy lying at her feet.  She blushes and grabs the comforter off the bed, covering the man’s lower half.

As the transformation completes itself, the glow also subsides, “N-Natsu?” her voice trembling a little, she kneels and reaches out to his shoulder, “N-Natsu?”

“Lu…cy…” a weakened voice, barely a whisper comes out of him. 

“Natsu, is that you?” When he opens his eyes, she is greeted with the emerald jewels she’s come to know well.  “Natsu, that is you!  T-this is you!”  Throwing off her concerns she hugs him to her chest.  “Natsu!!” she cries, but tears of joy, “Oh my goodness!”

“Lucy…” he hugs her back, snuggling his face against her neck.  “Please don’t cry for me.”

“I’m happy!” she tightens her embrace, “I can’t help it,” sniffling, “But, what the hell is going on?!”

He releases her and sits up, running his hand through his hair, “Well,” he grins, “Surprise?”

“Don’t _surprise_ me mister, how did you go from a dragon to this?” she waves her hand at him.  “Although now things are making more sense to me, this really is your room, the clothes in the closet are your clothes.”  He nods.

“Two years ago, a wizard cursed me because I played a practical joke on him.  I thought it was funny as hell, and at first being a dragon was cool but, then it got lonely.”  Lucy sits down as he continues.  “I couldn’t talk to anybody, people were afraid of me…  eventually I started to stay away for longer and longer…”

“In that cave?”

He nods, “By the time you found me I didn’t care if I died, I just wanted to stop being so alone.  But then you weren’t afraid, you helped me despite what I was…” tears form in the corners of his eyes, “for the first time in those two years, I didn’t feel alone anymore.”

“Oh Natsu,” tears threaten to spill again.  She hugs him, “But why did you change back now?”

“We can answer that.”  The couple turns to the door way and see the King and Queen.  Igneel smiles, “the only way to break the curse was for Natsu to find love.” 

“True Love,” beams Grandeeney.  “The only magic more powerful than any curse.”

Natsu turns Lucy’s chin towards him, “I guess when you said you loved me, that broke the spell.”

“S-So, you really are a Prince?” she looks at him, then to the royals as they all nod. 

Grandeeney smiles at her as Igneel squeezes her waist, “I’m sorry we couldn’t tell you the truth my dear, but we had to let things happen on their own and hope for the best.”

“No wonder everyone always smiled or grinned at me,” she turns back to Natsu, “you all were hoping this would happen?”

Natsu’s eyes soften, “I fell in love with you since that cave Luce, and yes, I hoped that one day, you would feel the same way about me despite the form I held.”

Her eyes soften too, “I guess we both saved each other that day, huh?” caressing his cheek. 

“Oh, I’m not done yet.” The light in his eyes flash, “Dad, Lucy’s father is threatening to kidnap her.”

“He what!” Igneel bellows, “What fool dares to threaten someone in my court?!” 

Lucy had almost forgotten about the message, “H-he sent a letter saying he’d have me kidnapped and will force me into an arranged marriage.”

Igneel begins to shout again, “I will send…”

But Natsu waves his hand, “That’s not necessary dad, I have a better idea.”  Everyone looks at him confused as he turns to Lucy and takes her left hand.  “Marry me Lucy, be my Princess, my wife, my future queen and your father will have no choice to back off or it will be treason; surely he is not that big of a fool?”

Lucy blinks, “Me, a-a Princess?”

He grins, “Don’t forget future queen, I am the heir to the throne.”

“And I’d like to retire someday.” Igneel throws in taking a jab to his side by his wife.  “What?  Just saying…” he laughs.

“Then yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes!” Lucy kisses Natsu on the lips, “I love you.”

Leaning his forehead to hers, “I love you too.”

Igneel clears his throat, “Now that, that is settled I’ll be sending a letter to your father informing him of your engagement to the Prince and that if he dares to get in the way he will be thrown in the dungeon.  As for you two, congratulations, and please son, put some clothes on.”  Lucy’s face grows crimson.

Natsu looks down, and laughs, “I forgot I was naked.”

“We’ll let everyone know you’re back,” his mom smiles, “How about a ball in your honor?  Ooh, an engagement ball!” Igneel starts to lead her away shaking his head but with a smile on his face, “I’m going to get Mira on that right away…”

“I’ll leave you alone, so you can change,” Lucy stands up to walk away, but he grabs her hand and yanks her into his lap.  “Natsu what are you…”

“After a year I finally get to hold you in my arms Luce, so you’re not going anywhere just yet.”

“Mmm,” she kisses him, “That’s fine with me…”

 


	20. Right in Front of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy and Natsu grew up just a couple doors down from each other. She's always looked at him like a brother but his feelings have grown... But one day when he tries to move on, Lucy realizes she may have made a big mistake...
> 
> Fic Writer’s Appreciation- January 2018 Writing Challenge Day 14  Present  
>    
>    
>        

The young blonde cheerleader had a lot of friends throughout high school.  Beautiful and friendly, she could bounce through any clique she wanted, the popular kids, jocks, geeks, it didn’t seem to matter, but her core group of friends at Fairytail high was really a mish-mosh of all the above.  They were kids that grew up together since the days of tag and jungle gyms, though adolescence and puberty, till finally adulthood was right around the corner. 

But among this group there was one, a boy that she was closest to over all of them.  Natsu and Lucy had lived just a few doors down from each other and since their parents had been friends, play dates started before they could even walk.  So, it was no surprise that the two would share a special bond. 

For her, Natsu was like the brother her parents never gave her, and he watched over her like one, fiercely protective and supportive.  It was obvious by 9th grade that his feelings toward Lucy had changed from merely a friend to a more romantic once but she couldn’t see him that way and it hurt. 

Every time she’d break up with a boyfriend, it was his shoulder she would cry on; and he’d grin and bear it.  Every time she celebrated a win in Cheer or acing a test, it was in his arms she’d find herself; and he’d gladly take it.  But every time he’d broach the idea of them...  she’d pull away.  Why?

All through high school this charade went on, and continued even after graduation when she left for college in a different city and he stayed behind at the local university.  They kept in touch through texts and social media, sometimes spending hours on the phone, especially when she was having a bad day; he was there for her.  Lucy visited during her first winter break and spent much of her time hanging out with him.  Spring break came, same deal. 

Finally, her first summer vacation from college and the young woman was ready for a long break from school.  Natsu picked her up at the airport like he usually did, and they made plans to hang out with their friends.  Everyone was home for the summer but there were a few new faces in the bunch.

Levy had met a guy in college, Gray a new girl, but there was also one more that had started hanging with them, a student at Magnolia U.  According to Levy, Lisanna was in a couple of Natsu’s classes and one day just started coming around.  But Lucy thought nothing of it, Natsu wasn’t her boyfriend so if he was interested in another girl, that was his choice.

Besides, he sure didn’t act like he was.  From the moment Lucy arrived home, he was glued to her hip like nothing had changed.  Part of her felt bad for the other girl when she could see the hurt in her eyes, but maybe a small part of her was happy that she didn’t have to share him with someone else.  It was selfish, of course, it’s not like she’d ever put his feeling first when she dated other guys, but she figured if he didn’t like it, wouldn’t he say something?

~~~

It’s amazing how quickly time flies when your having fun and before she knew it, Fall semester would be starting up in just a couple of weeks.  Some days, Lucy wondered, was there a good reason why she had chosen to go away for college since most of her closest friends all stayed home?  Magnolia U and Crocus U offered similar programs, were ranked the same, and tuition wasn’t the issue. 

And tonight, that question came up again but not by her, but Natsu.  He had taken her to the bluffs overlooking the lake where they could relax and lie back on the hood doing something she enjoyed; stargazing.  It was a special place for the long-time friends, one that only they shared and no one else, going there ever since they were allowed to go out at night on their own. 

She was using his arm like a pillow, as they chatted…

“Luce, could I ask you something?”

“Of course, you can.” She turns her head to look at him.

But his eyes stay focused on the sky, “Why’d you go so far away for college?”

“Honestly, sometimes I ask myself the same question.  I think I just wanted to experience something different.”

“Don’t you miss having your friends around all the time, I mean I’m sure you’ve made plenty more in Crocus, but, do you ever miss… me?”

“I do miss everyone, especially you, and I’ve made some friends, but I focus mostly on school while I’m there.  I don’t even want a boyfriend until I finish college.”

He turns his head away, “Oh.”

“Why the sudden question, Natsu?”

“It’s nothing…”

Lucy props her head up, “I know you Mr. Dragneel,” turning his face towards her, “if something is bothering you just tell me.”

He exhales, “What would you do if there was someone you liked, and they didn’t seem to feel the same way too, would you try to find out, or would you just move on?”

The young girl blinks, she hadn’t expected that kind of question.  “Well,” she bites her lip, “I really don’t know since I’ve never had that happen to me.”

“Don’t worry,” he fakes a smile, “Forget I asked,” and changes the subject.  “Are you excited for Fall semester?”

“MmHmm,” she nods, “The classes I have are gonna be hard, but I’m looking forward to the Creative Writing class.”

“That’s good, you always were an amazing writer.” He looks back to the sky, “It’s such a beautiful night…  I wish it never had to end.”

“Yeah…” Lucy lies back too.  But her mind is swimming by that last comment, and the way his voice sounded was so sad.  She can see through a side glance that his brows had furrowed like he was still thinking about something…

~~~~

By mid-September, Lucy was certain, something was amiss.  She and Natsu’s daily and constant text messages had dwindled to every few days, their often hour, long phone calls became shorter and shorter and she was lucky if she spoke to him once a week.  Finally, she asked him about it one day and he feigned being busy with school, classes were harder, football season, etcetera; but she didn’t believe him. 

It was Levy who confirmed it, Natsu had a girlfriend and it was the one she met during the summer.  _‘Why didn’t he just tell me,’_ Lucy sat in her dorm after the news.  Why hide such information?  Did he think she’d get upset?  It’s not like they were a couple or anything.  She’s angrier that she had to find out from Levy than if he had just been honest with her himself.  All those excuses he gave her… 

She grabs her phone ready to give him a tongue lashing.  _‘But what if he’s with her right now?’_ the phone drops back to her lap.  _‘I could leave a message if he doesn’t answer…  No if I call now, how will that make me look?  Desperate, a fool?’_

“Ugh!” she drops onto her back on the bed.  “Whatever!  If he wants a girlfriend let him!  What do I care!”  _Sighing,_ ‘Why the hell am I getting so angry!’ and curling into a ball, Lucy feels like, like she’s lost him…  Images of his smiling face, memories of his embrace, pictures after pictures, too many over their lifetime reminding her how close they once were.  He was always there for her, _always…_  

 _“What would you do if there was someone you liked, and they didn’t seem to feel the same way too, would you try to find out, or would you just move on?”_   It was like a ton of bricks falling on the young blonde, _‘Natsu, had you been talking about me?’_   Now all those memories seemed to be telling a different tale, not of two friends but something that should have been more.    

Lucy clicks the home button on her iPhone revealing the lock screen of her and Natsu at Senior Prom.  She had been staring straight at the camera smiling and he had been looking at her.  Up till now, the young girl just thought it was cute picture of the two of them having fun but as she looks closer at the image, his eyes…  they were… _‘Oh my God!  I’m such an idiot!’_   …filled with longing…                   

A pain in her heart, stabbing, searing; she clutches at her chest as the dam bursts and tears flood down her cheeks faster than her sobs could keep up with.  As a little girl she would dream about finding her soulmate and living happily ever after like in a fairytale and all this time, all this time; he had been right in front of her.     

 _“…I wish it never had to end…”_   She hears his voice again, the sadness of its tone, replaying like a broken record and she bangs her head with her fists trying to make them stop.  How could she give up everything she’s ever known?  Natsu had always been there, 19 years…  You can’t just make 19 years of memories vanish…  But, there’s no way she can face him now.  She was too embarrassed and a little angry at both herself and him.  _‘Why didn’t he just tell me how he felt!?’_  

 

After that night, and that revelation Lucy avoided all contact with Natsu, though she didn’t have the heart to block his number.  When he called, she let it go to voice mail, when he texted, they went unread and what had begun with less contact by him reversed by the first week of October.  He was calling or texting multiple times a day, sending messages through social media, even friends began contacting her concerned if she was okay.  With them she acted like she was fine, never telling the real reason she was blowing him off, but with him, silence. 

Fall break came, and she didn’t go home. 

By the beginning of November, Natsu’s contacts slowed down.  He was still calling or texting daily but not in multiples.  But the messages were growing sadder, even his posts on Instagram were becoming depressing.  Their friends begged her to contact him, but she refused, making up excuses that she was simply giving him space… since he had a girlfriend.             

Winter break came, but she stayed in Crocus.

On Christmas Day, Natsu left her a phone message wishing her a Merry Christmas, saying he wished she had come home because he misses her.  It hurt, she wasn’t gonna lie.  So finally, she sent him the first text message in months, simply reading ‘Merry Christmas too’.

Her parents were aware of what she was doing, it was unavoidable since she had to explain not coming home to visit.  They told her the Dragneels were concerned about their son and she, and they agreed with them that this rift was becoming ridiculous.  But she told them she was still angry that to this day, he has still not told her the truth about his girlfriend.  If he was such the friend he was supposed to be, why hadn’t he been honest with her, she spat back.  They were both young and inexperienced in such matters was her mother’s response and she should just forgive him.  I’ll think about it is all the young girl could agree to.

~~~~

Valentines Day. 

That morning was like any other for the college girl, with no significant other, she went about her day, going to class, and returning to her dorm by 3pm.  But around 4:30 there is a knock at the door and a courier standing there with a dozen long stemmed red roses and a small red box.  Thinking maybe she had a secret admirer or something she carries the items to her bed and pulls out the card; it was from Natsu.

She blinks, _‘Is he crazy?  Why the hell would he send me something for Valentines day?  And if that girlfriend of his ever found out…’_   but her eyes grow wide when she opens the box for inside is a silver promise ring and it’s engraved, ‘Natsu and Lucy Forever’.  Taking the card out of it’s envelope, she reads the message…

_“Lucy, I don’t know what else to say at this point except, I’m sorry.  Whatever I did to hurt you, I’m sorry.  And now, I just…  No matter if you never forgive me, please know you will be the only girl I’ll ever truly love.  Forever yours, Natsu”_

And as if there had been a camera watching her, her phone pings alerting her to a message.  She’s almost afraid to read it but she opens the text and it’s a picture of his left hand, a matching ring on his finger.  Her hand flies up to her mouth, _‘Impossible!  No way his girlfriend would allow that!’_   But the gesture tugs at her heartstrings, Lucy may be angry, but she doesn’t hate him, she may not have forgiven him yet, but, _‘I still love him too…’_  

So, she puts the ring on a chain around her neck for now. 

~~~~~~

Spring Break.

In no uncertain terms her family tells her she’s coming home for a visit whether she likes it or not, and Levy and the others had been threatening to kidnap her and drag her back to Magnolia too if she didn’t so what choice did she have?  Lucy missed them terribly, she just hoped to avoid Natsu while she was home, but it’s too bad for Lucy because they had other plans.

As she walked through the jetway, a part of her hoped Natsu would be standing at his car waiting for her at the curb like their routine had been but how could he when he shouldn’t even know she was home, right?  Her head hung down, maybe Levy and her parents had been right, maybe it was time she forgave him, I mean he was a guy and guys do dumb things all the time, plus it wasn’t all his fault either, part of the blame lay with her for being blind. 

Grabbing her suitcase from the baggage claim…  Even if he had a girlfriend, Natsu was still the closest person to her.  No one else, except maybe Levy as a close second knew her better.  But it would be awkward, if Lucy put herself in Lisanna’s shoes, what girlfriend would put up with their boyfriend being so close to another girl?  Making her way out to the curb…

“Lucy?”

A familiar voice.  She looks up.  “N-Natsu?  What are you doing here?”  _‘Are those bags under his eyes?  He doesn’t look like he’s getting any sleep.’_

“I always pick you up at the airport.” He takes the suitcase from the frazzled girl. 

“B-but you weren’t supposed to know I was coming.”     

He frowns, “I know, but your parents asked me to get you.”

 _‘They are gonna hear it from me!’_ she screams in her head.  “Alright fine, just take me straight home.”

Natsu doesn’t respond, just simply puts her bag in the trunk and get into the car.  Lucy sits in the passenger side and stares out the window as they head away from the airport.  _‘Weren’t you on the verge of forgiving him?’_ her conscious chimes, _‘Tch, I didn’t say that.’  ‘Admit it, stop being angry and just get it over with…’_  

She sighs, and props her head with her hand.  Natsu looks over but doesn’t say anything.  Holding in all these emotions, especially the anger was becoming taxing on her.  Lucy had never been one to hold a grudge for so long against anyone and she despised feeling negative.  But maybe it had more to do with the person rather than the situation.  Since Natsu was such a large part of her existence, his affects on her were also amplified. 

Closing her eyes, another sigh, _‘I can’t keep doing this, it hurts too much…’_

When she opens her eyes again, it’s only at that point that she realizes they are going in the opposite direction from her parent’s house.  She turns to the Natsu, “Where are you taking me?  I said I wanted to go straight home.”

Staring straight at the road, “I know you did, but we’re going to our place first.”

“Our place?  You can’t just kidnap me…”

“You damn well know I’d never do anything to hurt you Luce,” he sighs, “But we need to talk.”

“Fine,” she looks away again, “what choice do I have…”

 

When he stops the car, Natsu doesn’t even wait for her to get out before he does and sits on his hood with his head hung.  Lucy’s parents had asked him two days ago to pick her up at the airport despite knowing the two friends weren’t talking.  But both her parents and his told him he, they needed to fix this and now.  He had spent these couple of days in dread trying to figure out what he was going to say to her. 

They were right, Natsu knew they were right.  Everyone told him she was hurting just as much as he was, and they were both being stubborn.  But that assessment wasn’t fair, at least in his mind because he had tried, and tried talk to her but what could he do if she wasn’t responding, wasn’t answering, hell not coming home?  The rings he bought, they weren’t exactly cheap!  Another problem was he didn’t know why she was avoiding him and no one knew the full answer either.

Lucy sat there for several minutes just watching him through the windshield.  She could be a bitch and refuse to get out of the car but…  Things were so much easier when she was miles away and they weren’t face to face because looking at him… the pain he was feeling, the low energy of the usually gregarious young man, it was killing her.   

She gets out and leans on the closed passenger door.  “Well, you wanted to talk, so, talk.”

“Why are you mad at me Lucy?”

“Are you serious?  You really haven’t figured it out by now?”

He looks at her, “If I had, don’t you think I would have tried to fix it?!”

“ _Tch_ , I don’t know,” looking away, “I mean you were stupid enough to do it in the first place.” 

“Do what!” he walks over and traps her between his arms.  “Just tell me what I did!”

She faces him and narrows her eyes, “Pick a reason!  You started dating that girl and you didn’t tell me.  You started not answer my texts or calls and the times you did answer our conversations got shorter and shorter.  Then the excuses of why you weren’t talking to me like we used to…”  Tears are streaming down her face, but her anger is a train without brakes.  “…I knew it didn’t sound right but you kept lying and I finally got it out of Levy that it’s cause you had a girlfriend!”

Punching his chest, “You’re my best friend, my best friend!” she hits his chest again, “And yet you lied to me and kept lying to me.  Why keep her a secret?  What the hell were you so afraid of that you couldn’t tell me the truth?!”

“You want the truth?  Yes, I lied to you because I didn’t want you to think I was moving on.  You said on these bluffs last summer you didn’t like anyone and that broke my heart because, because… Ahh what does it matter anyways!” he slaps the door frame and walks away to the edge of the cliffs.  Looking at the sky, “You just couldn’t see what was right in front of your face all along.”

“And what’s that?” she responds, but her voice is trembling

Hanging his head, “How much I love you.”

“But, you have a girlfriend…”

“ _Had_ , Luce, I broke up with her by the end of September once I realized no one could ever take your place in my heart.”

Lucy pulls the chain from around her neck and slips the ring on.  Her parents were right, she needed to fix this too.

“Natsu…” she wraps her arms around him and leans her cheek against his back.  “I’m sorry too.  I-I had no idea you felt so strongly about me, a-and the truth is,” _exhale_ , “I was angry that you lied but, I was angrier at myself for not seeing it sooner, and, I took that out on you.  It was easier to blame you than to point the finger back at me.”

She squeezes, “I’m sorry!  I’m so, sorry Natsu!  I was such a bitch to you and that was wrong.  You were right, I was too blind to see what was right in front of me.”

Lucy feels him unfurl the fingers on her left hand and rub over the ring, “You’re wearing it?” a bit of surprise in his tone. 

He feels her nod, “From the moment I received it.”

“I…  didn’t think you would…” Natsu’s voice stutters. 

Letting go, Lucy walks around to face him and takes his left hand, rubbing over his ring, “This is a beautiful gift…” she looks up at him and smiles, “I can’t change the past, and I can’t guarantee the future but now, in this moment, I see what’s right in front of me.”

“And what’s that,” he caresses her cheek, rewarding her with the smile that always makes her feel better.

“How much I love you too…”


	21. To Hell and Back- Sequel to Alone no More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What did Natsu really do to end up cursed and how far would friends go to protect each other? 
> 
> Fic Writer’s Appreciation- January 2018 Writing Challenge Day 18 Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it’s a little rushed since I was trying to get it done by the 18th. I’ll probably tweak it and post an updated version on AO3 eventually. Thanks for reading :)

Levy, Erza, and Cana, three of Lucy’s best friends accompany her to a dress fitting in the city.  The wedding is just six months away and they all must get fitted for their gowns.  As the soon-to-be Princess of Kelekona, it was natural the girls were escorted in a carriage by several of the Royal guards.  Jellal, Sting, Leo, and Gajeel were some of the finest in the army and they were handpicked for the job by Natsu because Lucy’s safety was always his top priority. 

The girls arrived at the shop which had been cleared of any other customers for a private session with no trouble and once inside, the four men took up their positions, standing guard at the only entrances, two by a front door, and two by a rear exit in the back.  Inside, the shop keeper, and two assistants along with the four girls were the only ones. 

But little did they know, that one of the assistants was the wizard that originally cursed Natsu and she had other plans for the would-be bride…

“Ahh, Welcome again Lady Lucy,” the shop keeper bows to the young blonde, “I am honored that you chose my establishment for your royal wedding attire.”

“You are too humble, Hibiki,” she smiles, “Your dresses and suits speak for themselves and I am very much a fan.”

“Please, have a seat, ladies,” he gestures to some cushioned chairs as his assistants bring out refreshments, “Do you have a dress style in mind for you and the bridesmaids?”

“Yes…”

As the shopkeeper and Lucy speaks, one of the assistants dictates notes and sketches, while the other begins taking measurements of each women.  Styles, colors, embellishments, fabric preferences are all accounted for.  Natsu’s favorite colors are reds and golds so Lucy decided to go with that as the color theme, but for a fun little twist approved by the King and Queen, little dragons and stars will be embroidered on the bridal party’s attire. 

When it is Lucy’s turn, Karen, one of the assistant’s gestures to the riser, “Please, Lady Lucy, step up so that I may take your measurements.”

Hibiki turns his questions towards the Maid of Honor Levy to gather more information on the exact placements of the embroidery as Cana and Erza look around the shop at the other fineries he sells.  This establishment caters to mostly nobility and other wealthier citizens of the surrounding areas but, a little window shopping couldn’t hurt.

“Please stand up straight and put your arms out.”  Once Lucy complies, Karen measures the length of arm from neck to wrist, then bust and waist.  “Are you excited to be marrying the Prince, Lady Lucy?”

“Oh yes,” the young blonde beams at the mention of her fiancé, “It has been such a magical journey, like those fables you read to children, but it’s actually happening to me!”

Karen kneels to measure the inseam and outer leg lengths, “Prince Natsu seems like a nice young man, he is very lucky to have met you.”

“Thanks,” the girl blushes 

“Would you tell me,” Still in the kneeling position, Karen lowers her voice so that the other’s around them cannot hear her, “are the rumors true, had he really been cursed and turned into a dragon and you were the one who broke the spell?”

“It’s true,” Lucy tilts her head, “But, I’m a little surprised, I thought everyone in this city knew the story.”

“Oh, I have,” the woman smirks, “I just wanted to confirm it from the source.”

“Why?”

“To make sure…” she looks straight at Lucy, “my spell is cast on the right person.”

“Spell…” Lucy begins to back-peddle, slipping off the riser and falling, “Wh-who are you…”

Karen stands up, “the witch who cursed Natsu.  He should have suffered longer after what he did to deserve it!”

“Hey what’s going on!” Hibiki and the others rush over, “Karen wh…”

“Stay back, all of you!”  Now even the guards have surrounded them.  “I will kill her if anyone comes any closer.”

But the guards take a step forward.  “Wait!” Lucy shrieks, “Stay where you are.” She turns back to the woman, “why do you want to hurt me?!  I thought it was just a prank that…”

“It was no prank!  And there are others that know this to be true who have helped him hide it.” Sting flinches, but says nothing.  “Two years wasn’t long enough for him to learn his lesson, and so I am forced to act once again.” 

“But why me?  I didn’t have anything to do with that!” Lucy is in tears by this point, “I wasn’t here…”

“Don’t you think I know that stupid girl!  But for him to realize and atone for what he did, I must take away what is most precious to him…  and that my dear is you.”  She lifts her hand above her head, “May she draw out the truth that lies buried in his soul and deliver reparations for my heart.  Lefkó os katharó me fterá chrysoú, metamorfónoun aftó to korítsi se dráko! (White as pure with wings of gold, transform this girl into a dragon!)” 

Lucy’s body begins to glow just like Natsu’s did when he began to transform, “What did you do to me?” 

“What did you do to the Princess!” Jellal shouts, “Damn witch you will pay!” He takes a step forward...

“Kill me and you won’t learn the secret to removing the spell,” Karen snickers.  “Do you really wanna do that?”

While everyone watches, Lucy’s body slowly changes… morphing into a dragon.  “Please tell us how to save her!” Levy begs through her tears, “she doesn’t deserve this…”  They must move back as the creatures grows, a little smaller in size, and white with goldish colored wings than Natsu had been…  “Please Ms. Karen!” the girl drops to her knees beside her unconscious friend as the glowing subsides, “Tell me!”

“Follow the instructions I leave to the letter, and remember, the names given must do exactly as instructed or she will remain a dragon for the rest of her life…”  the witch simply vanishes into thin air and in her place, lies a book. 

“Fuck where did she go?!” Jellal screams.  “Gajeel, Leo fan out into the surrounding areas and search, Sting let’s get these girls back to the palace now!”

“But what about the Princess?  She’s still unconscious, how do we get her to the palace?”

Hibiki who is still shaken by the whole ordeal volunteers, “I have a horse drawn cart out back, s-she should fit in it.”

“Thank you, Hibiki,” Erza places her hand on his shoulder trying to reassure him…

All the while, Cana had picked up the book and turned her attentions to Levy who is sobbing hysterically over her friend.  “Come on Levy, we’re gonna save her…” she rubs the girls back, “Don’t lose it now, we need you to stay strong…” she shows her friend the book, “and we’re gonna need your skills.”

Levy wipes at her face and looks at the book, “It l-looks like Dragoumik, an ancient dialect used by priests who worshiped these creatures a couple hundred years ago…”

“Girls,” they turn to see Sting walk up behind them, “We need everyone’s help to move Lady Lucy…”

 

In order not to create a panic, Lucy is hidden under fabrics, and driven by Hibiki himself to look like a simple delivery of goods to the palace, but Levy refuses to leave her friend’s side and lays down next to her just in case she wakes up.  The rest of the entourage follows in their carriage with Jellal leaving the girls in Sting’s care to find his other two guards. 

On the way, Levy flips the book open and finds a loose paper, folded, and tucked against the seam.  There is too little lighting to read most of it, but clearly it is instructions just as Karen said they would be.  “Hang in there Lucy,” she lays her head against her friend, “I’ll get you back to normal, and find out what the hell Natsu did to cause all this!”

 

 

Once safely behind the walls of the palace, and with the help of a few other guards, Lucy is swiftly carried to her room before anyone can see her.  While the three girls wait there, Erza asks a guard to fetch the King and Queen and Sting rushes off to find Natsu who is with Gray somewhere in the training fields near the forest.

But Levy is not wasting anytime, as soon as Lucy is safely in her room she yanks the paper out of the book and starts reading…

 _“The three conspirators must find the keys to unlocking the spell.  Natsu Dragneel.  Gray Fullbuster.  Sting Eucliffe…”  ‘Gray and Sting know something?!’  “Fullbuster will search for the Jewel of Reflection, Eucliffe must find the Elixir of Contrition, and Natsu Dragneel shall locate the Verity Chalice.  In this Book of Wisdom, you shall find the directions for each key piece.  Each conspirator will each be put through their own tests in order to obtain the key pieces.  Once collected, all must be brought by these individuals before Lucy in the place her heart was stolen…”  ‘Place her heart was stolen?  What the hell does that mean?’  “Remember, they must keep the items they were tasked to find with them.   Place the Jewel and Elixir together in the chalice and incant the spell Allagi to activate the final test.  Once Lucy drinks the potion, Natsu must atone for what he did and if he speaks the truth, the curse will be broken.”  ‘Spell?’_   Levy frantically flips through the codex, _‘Spell?  There!  Allagi!’_   “I’ve got it!  I’ve got it!!”

“Got what?!!”  Cana and Erza rush over to their friend.

“I know what needs to be done to save Lucy!”

 Movement catches their attention as Lucy stretches her legs and wings, like she is waking up from a long slumber.  “Lucy!” the two girls run over to her. 

Cana, “Lucy, don’t freak out but you’ve been turned into a dragon.”  But she literally jumps to her feet, wide-eyed, spinning trying to see it for herself. 

Erza, “Lucy calm down, y-you’re gonna hurt yourself… or break something.”

Levy hugs the dragon’s neck, “Stop, Lucy, it’s gonna be okay!” tears are starting to trickle again, “We know what we need to do, we’re just waiting for the others to get here.”  The dragon settles down and hangs her head.  “I swear to you, Lu, I’m gonna get you back to normal and figure out what the hell Natsu did to cause this in the first place!”

The two girls and Lucy both look up at their friend, “What do you mean what he did?” the red-head asks.

“This is not over some stupid prank, that woman was angry, and she even alluded to it back at that shop…  _Reflection_ …  _Contrition_ …  _Verity_ …” Levy’s voice is cynical and irritated, “…it’s all about making amends for something and I doubt it’s because of a joke.  And whatever happened, she believes that Gray and Sting knew about it and helped Natsu to cover it up.”

“So, you said, you know what needs to be done?”

“Yeah, but there’s only one thing I’m not sure about.  It says once they’ve gathered the keys they must…” she looks back to the book and skims over the words as she reads them aloud, “Once collected, all must be brought by these individuals before Lucy in the place her heart was stolen,” looks at Lucy, “Do you know where that place is?”  The dragon stares for a second then shakes its head.  “Maybe Natsu will...”

Little did the girls know, that King Igneel and Queen Grandeeney had arrived at the room just as Levy was hugging Lucy to calm her down, and when they heard the discussion, stopped to listen.  By the time Levy was asking about the place Lucy’s heart was stolen the Queen was in tears and the King was fuming, not at what was happening now but his son.  Something in his heart had always wondered if a simple prank could have led to the curse and now, with his future daughter-in-law, an innocent party affected, he was ready to demand the truth.

Queen Grandeeney is too upset so one of her attendants takes her back to her chambers but Igneel takes a deep breath and opens the door.  As soon as he sees Lucy his heart drops even more.  “Damn it Natsu…” he mutters under his breath and shakes his head. 

“King Igneel,” the two girls bow their heads at the arriving monarch, even Lucy drops hers but the King, lifts it back up. 

“I’m so sorry my dear,” moisture is clouding his eyes as he stares at the dragon, “you don’t deserve the pain my son has brought upon you.”  turning to Levy, “I believe what you were saying, Natsu must have done something far worse to that wizard than he admitted to, to bring this on again.  Can you really save her?”

“Yes.” Levy states without hesitation.

King Igneel nods, “Good, then I’m putting you in charge.  If my son so much as whines I swear I am gonna give him a lashing he’ll never forget!  Lucy is the best thing that has ever happened to him and if he screws it up I’ll… I’ll…” but before he finishes, Lucy nuzzles the king’s face with her snout to quiet him.  Her eyes are soft, reflecting warmth and compassion, they say to let it go…      

 _Exhale_ , “You’re too good for him,” King Igneel smiles, “But if you can offer mercy at a time like this then so can I.”  Lucy closes her eyes as he smooths her muzzle, releasing what can be only be described as a sigh…

At that moment Natsu and Gray burst through the doors with Sting right behind them.  “Fuck, what the hell did that bitch do to you!”  But before he can reach Lucy, both his father and Levy step between them.

“You’ve got some serious explaining to do young man.” His father grabs his son by the shirt, “and you two,” he looks at Gray and Sting who stand petrified behind their friend, “you helped him get in this mess, you’re helping him get out of it or you’ll spend the rest of your lives in the dungeon, understood!”

Gray and Sting just nod and hang their heads while Igneel lets go of his son’s shirt.  “Now, the three of you are gonna stand there, with your mouths shut, as Levy tells you exactly what you have to do to fix this problem.  If any of you gives her any problems you’ll be answering to me, got it?”  Again, they nod. 

“Can’t I at least kiss my fiancé or hug her, something?  She’s gotta be upset right now.”

“Lucy,” the king turns to the dragon, “Do you want a hug from Natsu?”  The dragon shakes her head no, “Sorry son, guess she’s still upset, with you.”

“Why me?”

Having stayed quiet while the King dealt with his son, Levy just can’t hold back the anger that had been simmering for the what the Prince had caused her best friend.  “Are you fucking serious!” the young girl starts screaming and advancing on Natsu, “Even though some of us don’t know exactly what you did to cause it, we do know it’s all your Fucking Fault!!”

Everyone’s mouth drops at the profanity coming out of the usually quiet girls mouth and Cana and Erza must grab Levy by the shoulders to pull her back.  “…You, and Gray, and Sting pissed off that witch and now Lucy is paying for it!  And you’re gonna friggin fix this or so help me the dungeon is gonna be a vacation compared to what I do to you!”           

“Alright!” Natsu puts his hands up, “Of course I’ll do anything to break the curse, I want Lucy back!”

Levy reads aloud the instructions given by the witch word for word and while she does this, the King watches the expressions on Natsu, Gray, and Sting’s faces carefully.  He can see the wheels turning in their minds, clearly all three of them were guilty of something, but what?  The witch called them all conspirators but according to witnesses, she also said she was taking away what was precious to him, meaning Natsu.  His son must be the one who did something and the other two are covering for him.

After finishing, Levy looks straight at Natsu and asks, “Where is the Place Lucy’s heart was stolen?”

He shrugs his shoulders, “I have no idea.”

“Well think harder!  Because unless we can figure it out, finding those keys are useless.  Only two people know this answer, you and Lucy and unfortunately, she can’t speak right now.”

“I’m not sure…” his shoulder slump and he plops down onto their bed holding his head in his hands, “Gah!  I’m not good at this romantic stuff, I-I…” Even though he’s covering his face, Lucy can smell the tears starting to trickle down his face.  She walks over and nudges his hand until he finally looks up at her. 

“Lucy, I’m so sorry!” he throws himself on her, hugging to her neck, “I swear I never meant for anything like this to happen…”  Letting his tears go, the young Prince’s chest heaves from crying so forcefully, “I’m gonna get you back to normal, I promise, I promise, just don’t leave me please!”  She nuzzles him back as if to say I’m not going anywhere…

And that’s when it hits him, “I know the place…” he sniffles and pulls back to caress her muzzle.  Resting his forehead against her cheek, “It’s the same place you stole my heart too.”

“Well?!!” Everyone shouts at the same time.

He smiles and kisses her nose, “The cave, am I right?”  Lucy nods her head.

“Great!” Levy stands up from the loveseat she was on, “Now that we know where it is, it’s time you three go and find the key pieces.” She hands out instructions to where they will find them.  “I don’t know what you’ll encounter when you get to these locations but just come back as quickly as possible.  Once you’ve all returned, meet back here at the palace and make sure you hold on to the pieces you were told to find,” she stresses, “since the witch specifically assigned them, there must be some significance to it.  Then we’ll all go to the cave together, I’ll have the spell translated by then.”

King Igneel, “Should I send help with them?”

“No,” Levy shakes her head, “the witch wanted this to be a test of sorts that they needed to complete, on their own.”

“Okay,” the king agrees, but he worries.  He might be angry with Natsu but he’s still his only son.

 

Each person in the room, makes their way out, Igneel goes to check on his wife and let her know what’s going on, Sting and Gray still with their heads hung in shame set out on their missions, Cana and Erza drag Levy out with her to give the couple a few minutes alone, promising to return quickly with food. 

“Lucy,” with trepidation in his tone, he smooths the area around her face and neck, “Are you really still mad at me?”  she nods.  He sighs, “D-do you… hate me?”  she shakes her head no.  “Do you still love me?”  Now this time she doesn’t respond for a few seconds, giving him a mild heart attack, but soon nuzzles his face and nods her head. 

He exhales long a deep, “I know this might not mean much under the circumstances, but you still look beautiful Luce.”  She shakes her head, shying away from his gaze, but he turns her head back to him, “No, really you are, you’ll always be beautiful to me no matter what.”  Leaning his forehead to hers, “I’ll make this right again, okay?”  she nods, “be back before you know it,” he flashes his cheeky grin, and after one more kiss to her nose he sprints out the door… 

~~~XX~~~

Gray’s quest leads him to the summits of Mount Hakobe, trudging through snow drifts and semi-blizzard like conditions; it’s painfully slow going.  It didn’t help that the location of the Jewel gave very little details, a cave on Rumi’s Peak marked by blue granite about 600 yards from the base.  But the peak was at least half a kilometer wide and chances are the cave will be hidden by snow.

Locals in the area give him a little more information saying the cave faces East, towards the rising sun; a symbol of new beginnings.  Is it a sign he wonders, as he makes his way in that direction, find redemption for what they had _done_ and begin… anew? 

He had known the second Sting told them what had transpired their past had come back to haunt them.  They should have been free and clear, the girl and her mother had moved to the other side of the continent, Natsu’s curse had been broken, so why did that witch have to stir things up again?! 

Unless this wasn’t just to punish the Prince, but them as well?  It had been selfish of him but when Natsu was the only one to suffer the witches curse he had breathed a sigh of relief that the witch hadn’t come after them too.  _‘Well I guess I was wrong…’_ grumbling in his head, _‘all because that idiot couldn’t control himself, I’m here freezing my ass off!’_  

It was almost like the mountain heard his protests because winds began to whip around him, swirling and lashing him with the icy snow.  He runs with his arms up frantically trying to block his face from the onslaught, but it can only do very little as what feels like tiny daggers slice at any exposed skin.  With his desperation mounting, a glimmer of hope rises in the distance, a cave, _‘Shelter!’_   And heads right for it….

~~~X~~~

“Well at least this elixir thing is in the forest,” Sting snickers, _‘Gray must be thrilled with the snow, fuck, he’s always been frigid anyways, he’ll fit right in.’_   He wipes at the beads of sweat gathering on his forehead.  “ _Tch_ , never thought a _rain_ forest would be so damn hot though!” shouting at the birds chirping around him.         

Hacking away at the vines and foliage, Sting traipses over the cushiony ground of fallen leaves and other debris, thoroughly irritated that he was stuck in this situation.  “I didn’t get them drunk!” slicing through another thick vine.  “I wasn’t even there when he shagged her!!” 

It was true that the soldier hadn’t been with his two friends when they were partying with the girl, though at the time he was mad he wasn’t.  Usually it was the three of them getting into such mischief but that night he was on guard duty.  I mean what virtuous chick would even agree to be alone with men unless she wasn’t as innocent as she claimed to be. 

The chauvinist in him had no problem blaming her for the whole ordeal and that’s why he did what he did to protect his friend and his kingdom.  There was no way he was going to allow, who he felt was a whore, tarnish the Princes name, and he was pretty sure he had scared the girl enough to keep her mouth shut.  Then, when Natsu had gotten cursed by the witch he became paranoid for a time that he would be next on the list, after all he had a played his part.    

But nothing happened, months went by and when he learned the girl and her mother had moved far away he thought he was clear.  _‘Boy was I wrong…’_   When that woman started talking about the people who knew, he thought he was done for, but instead she focused on Lucy.  Panic had rose like bile in his throat, but he couldn’t move, no one knew what they had done, and he wasn’t about to admit to it either. 

It wasn’t until he was looking for Natsu that he could reflect on what was going on.  For Sting, the girl had meant nothing, but Lucy was a completely different case.  He liked her, a lot, as in, if Natsu had screwed up he would have swooped in to _console_ her.  At least he had enough respect for his friend never to cross the line until that happened and considering they were engaged to be married, probably never will.  But it wasn’t right, that she was being punished for their transgressions. 

“Where the hell’s this medicine guy!” pushing a branch out of his way.  “I don’t have time to waste here!” another branch.  “Damn it!” just as he’s moving another branch, a strong gust of wind funnels through the trees, _‘what the…’_ picking up leaves and other vegetation from the ground propelling it at him.  His hands fly up to block but the branch he had already started to push forward, recoils, hitting him square in the chest and flinging him backwards.

Sting’s body slams hard against a tree trunk before landing face first at it’s base, knocked out cold…

~~~X~~~       

_“…Hey Gray, why is there a girl here?”   “I met her at the tavern last night, invited her to party with us.”   “I’d rather not…”   “What are you scared of…”_

He shakes his head, _‘I should’a left, right that second, I should’a left her alone with Gray,’_ he sighs and rubs his temples.  But the messed-up part is, if not for that night, and being turned into the dragon… _‘I wouldn’t have met Lucy.’_   “Oh, this is so fucked up!” the exasperation in his voice speaks volumes, is fate really so, twisted?  _‘I got to meet the girl of my dreams…  after meeting the one that became my nightmare.’_

Natsu’s journey would take him the furthest of the trio, for the goblet he needed to obtain was near the city of Alvarez.  Clear across the continent of Fiore it will take him at least 3 days of hard riding by horse which left him a lot of time to think.  And the fact was, he didn’t even know what the truth was anymore or what to believe. 

That night in the barracks he remembers drinking with Gray and the girl, he knows he got wasted on alcohol, but at some point, he must have blacked out because he doesn’t remember sleeping with her.  Not to say it didn’t happen, just that he couldn’t remember.  For all he knew he simply fell asleep. 

But according to Gray, when he woke up he found Natsu, with only his boxers on, passed out next to the partially naked girl, it sure looked like they had had sex.  So, he believed Gray when he was told it must have taken place; his friend wouldn’t lie to him, right?  And in his panic, he let his two best friends cover up the incident like nothing ever happened. 

And that was easier to believe, to assure himself that nothing happened, it was a misunderstanding, hell, that it was all just a drunken dream and for six months no one could have told him otherwise; until that witch cursed him.  The woman never told him who she was or why she was doing that to him, but it didn’t take a genius to put it together. 

That’s when the truth reversed in his mind, and believed he had deflowered the girl.  His parents had raised him with enough morals to know it was wrong to take a girl’s virginity before marriage and this tore him up inside.  So, by the time Lucy had found him injured in the forest, he did want to die but not because he felt alone like he had told her, but because he felt he had committed such a horrible sin.  That poor girl would never be looked upon the same if men knew she was no longer pure, and it was all his fault.           

 

With the sun about to set in just a couple hours, Natsu finally arrives at his destination.  _‘This is odd…’_   he remarks to himself, for this forest clearing is eerily silent.  No birds chirping or insects buzzing, no sound of wind rustling the leaves, just a still and unnerving dead space. 

His horse begins back-peddling and shuffling from side to side, even this creature feels the uncomfortable energy of this place.  “Shhh…” he pats and rubs his horses neck, trying to prompt it forward again, but the animal plants it front feet, refusing to take another step. 

“You finally made it, Prince Natsu…” 

He looks up from his horse, eyes narrowing and anger bubbling to the surface the instant recognition processes in his brain, for where there was no one before a woman stands waiting, “You!”                

~~~X~~~

Back in Kelekona, Lucy is so distraught she refuses to leave her room, but worried about her sanity, her three best friends take turns to make sure she’s never alone.  They do their best to keep her spirits up, and her attention on anything but the fact she was just turned into a dragon.  Lucy permits a few others to come in like the King and Queen, Princess Wendy, her servants Aries and Virgo; but only people she knows she can trust.    

Unable to talk anymore, like Natsu, she instead does a lot of reflecting.  Lucy hides her emotions from her friends, which is not difficult considering she can no longer smile or frown, cry or laugh and other actions that may give it away.  She must admit, that being incapable of doing any of those things that makes them human, really does leave you feeling lonely. 

To think Natsu spent two years in this condition and after just two days she can barely stand it.  No wonder he started to retreat from the world he knew.  But what about the things the witch had said?  What did Natsu, Gray, and Sting do that was so horrible, to incur her wrath? 

After the boys had left, Levy divulged a little more of the translations to just the girls.  Levy had purposely withheld details from them because she wanted them to suffer a little and when she explained what she meant, they could see why.  Yes, each of the guys were assigned a specific item because they were tailored to what the witch wanted them to learn. 

The journey to the item would be physically demanding, and when they finally found the pieces, to obtain them the tests will humble and break them down mentally.  The witch wants them to understand what they did, whatever they did, was wrong.  And even after all of that, Natsu must pass the final, and ultimate test given not by these magical items, but by Lucy herself for the spell will give her the ability to discern whether or not he is telling the truth….               

~~~X~~~

He shakes away the layer of snow and ice now coating his face and clothing, surveying the damage left behind from the frozen projectiles.  “Tsss…” he grimaces when he feels a particularly deep cut on his forehead, _‘That’s gonna leave a scar.’_  

 _‘Now, what?’_  Unable to see anything around him, all he can hear are the howling winds outside of the cave.  But luckily as a soldier, he had been trained to handle subzero situations and was well equipped to deal with the darkness he finds himself trapped in.  Pulling the glow wand, he had brought along, he looks around, noting the cave will provide adequate protection for now but maybe there will be another way out. 

Carefully, he moves along the wall of the passageway, ducking from stalactites and stepping around stalagmites, he’s not paying full attention to what is in front of him.  _Bang!_   Walking straight into a hard obstruction he swore up and down wasn’t there, not only does his face hurt from where it slammed into the surface but his ass when he slipped and fell backwards. 

“Fuck!” rubbing his bruised rear, “What the hell?!” waving the glow wand in front of him, his own image greets him.  “Whoa…” reaching out to touch the reflective ice, its surprising, “Never seen ice like this before…” moving the wand higher, a slight distortion in the ice catches his attention.  Gray stands up to get a closer look and realizes, this is it, this is the Jewel he was looking for!

Frozen in the center of the wall, it’s so clear it almost blend’s right into the ice if not for the raised and cut appearance.  Was it really a jewel that someone had hidden here ages ago, it must be since no natural stone could have that finished gem like appearance.               

Gray grabs his trusty knife and sets to work on freeing it from the ice, but the moment his fingers touch the stone, his reflection shimmers and distorts.  All around him the cave he was just standing in fades away.  “’what’s going on!” in a panic, the blade drops from his hand, the scene is changing…

“No!  No Way!”  … back, to that night...  “Not again!” 

Frantically turning around, he sees Natsu lying in the bed next to the girl but somethings different.  His friend is not asleep but grinning at him, “Isn’t this what you wanted to happen Gray?” the apparition taunts the shaken soldier and sits up.  “You were the one who invited her, you wanted to party, you wanted to get her drunk to…”

“Don’t say it!” Gray closes his eyes and clutches at his ears to tune out Natsu’s voice.  “This is not what I wanted to happen!!”

“Just admit it Gray, and your pain go away…” someone or something grabs his shoulders, “…admit that this was all your fault!” 

“NOO!!!” he pulls away from the apparition, pressing himself against the wall, “I just wanted to have some fun, I didn’t expect you to sleep with her!”

“But that still means you started the chain of events, Gray you brought her here, you helped feed her the alcohol…  You’re just as guilty as I am…”

The soldier buckles and slides to the floor, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!!!” he cries, sobbing into his hands.  “It is my fault this happened… and now poor Lucy is suffering too when it should have been me…  Why didn’t the witch target me instead?” he looks up at Natsu’s doppelganger, “she didn’t deserve to get cursed for our sin.”

“Everything will be okay now…” the Prince kneels and hugs his friend, “…it’ll be okay…”

Soft white light, so bright fills the room, Gray closes his eyes and exhales as the weight of the whole world lifts from his shoulders…  When he opens his eyes again, he is back in the cave.  He blinks, still stunned and shaken from the experience that had seemed utterly real… and it was, in his mind, he had been taken back to the night.

A pulse of red, a cracking noise, Gray looks to the jewel and sees the ice holding it begin to fracture around it, diving just as it starts to fall he manages to catch it.  “I’ve gotta get this back to Lucy!”

~~~X~~~

“Young man…”  someone shakes Sting’s shoulder, “Excuse, me young man, it’s time you wake up…”

“Huh?” rolling to his side, his aching body, stiff after a long slumber.  “What?”

“I think you should get up, you’ve been asleep for a day and a half.”

“Whoa, a day and a half!” Sting shoots up to a sitting position.  Looking around he finds himself on a cot in some old hut, with a bandage wrapped around his forehead.  “How’d I get here?  Wait, where is here?”

“I found you unconscious in the forest.  You had a really bad cut above your eye, and so I brought you to my home to patch you up.”

“I…” trying to stand on wobbly legs, “I need to get back to my mission,” but he stumble’s and the elderly gentleman steadies him.

“Mission, what kind of mission?”

“A very important one!  I need to find a medicine man that lives in this forest cause he’s supposed to know where the Elixir of Contrition is.” Turning to the man, “Hey, do you know where I can find this guy?”

“Oh yes, he’s very close.”

“Really!?” the soldier’s eyes light up, “Where?!”

“Standing in front of you.”

Sting’s eyes widen, and he grabs the man by the shoulders, “Please, tell me where this elixir is!  I need to help my friend that was cursed.”

“I’m sorry, young man, but It is not something I can simply give you, however, I can show you how to try and obtain it,” Sting releases the gentleman and takes a step back, “if that is truly what you desire.”   

“Yes!  I’ll do anything to save Lucy!”

“Very well, sit here,” he prompts Sting back onto the cot, “I’ll be right back.”

The blonde man watches as the elderly medicine man rummages around on a back table, all the while his mind is racing.  He couldn’t believe his luck to run into the one guy he was searching this huge forest for!  But then again, it had been odd, the way that happened, he reaches up and touches the throbbing area above his eye.

The man had said he had a cut there, did it happen when the branch hit him?  Or maybe when he his face hit the ground?  Sting prided himself on his appearance, always making sure to keep his body toned and in superior form so while he waits he scans around the room and sees a mirror hanging on one of the walls.

He pulls the bandage off to survey the damage and gasps, a large diagonal cut runs down from his hair line almost to his right eye.  _‘Damn, that’s gonna leave a scar!’_   Anger at the witch boils to the surface, _‘that bitch!  This is all her fucking fault!’_

“Young man?”

Sting whips around and is confronted by the gentleman and sees something, “Is that it?”  He snatches the bottle out of the man’s hands and immediately grows irritated.  Turning it upside down, “It’s empty!”

“I told you, it’s not something I could just hand to you.  Come,” he pushes Sting back to the cot, “sit and I will tell you what you must do”

“Ugh, I don’t have time…”

“Do you want the elixir or not?”

Sting’s shoulder slump, “yes…”

“Then listen closely.  Do you understand what the word ‘Contrition’ means?” Sting shakes his head no.  “It stands for repenting, being remorseful for an action you’ve done.  In order for anyone to be granted the elixir they must be willing to atone for those actions or it will not reveal itself.”

“Great…”

“I do not judge you, though it is obvious by your facial expressions you may not be ready to receive it…  however, it is for the elixir to give the final ruling.” He hands Sting another cup, this one does contain a liquid substance.  “Drink, and it shall all be revealed.”

“Drink this?” he sniffs the strange smelling concoction.

“Drink or not, that is your choice.”

Sting takes another whiff, “Are you sure this isn’t poison?”

“You won’t die, if that is what you are asking me.”

The young man hesitates, _‘but… I need to do this for her…’_ and gulps the liquid down.  “Yuck!”  A woozy sensation floods over the young man, “Wass… happpnin to meee…”

 

“Sting help me!”

“Gray?” he blinks his eyes, _‘How the…’_ looking around him, _‘I’m back in the barracks?’_

“Sting, you idiot, get over here!” his friend is yelling at him, half dragging Natsu down the hall towards him.  He rushes over and gets under one arm while Gray carries their friend from the other.  “We need to get Natsu outta here and back to the palace without anyone seeing us.”

“It’s too far to carry his ass, just take him to my room.” He lets go of his friend, “I’ll take care of the problem…”

“What are you gonna do?”

“The less you know the better, just go!”

Gray looks suspiciously at his friend but, Sting was right, “Alright, I’ll just hide out with Natsu in your room till you come back.”  They head in opposite direction.

The young blonde man pauses before entering Gray’s room.  He knows exactly what he’s about to see and it was a memory he had worked so hard to suppress, had convinced himself it was all to protect their friend… 

_The girl had still been passed out when he arrived, gathering her clothing he slapped her face, “Get up you whore!”  But she was so drunk all she did was groan.  A second slap, harder this time.  “Bitch get up!”_

_“Where am I…” the throb of her cheek finally brings her around “why’d you hit me?!...”_

_He tosses the clothes at her, “Put your shit on!” he glares at her.  “I ought’a arrest you right now for treason!”_

_“Treason!  But I-I didn’t do anything wrong!”_

_“Don’t lie to me you whore.  I know you seduced the Prince, so you could blackmail him.”_

_“N-no, I didn’t even…” she looks at her naked body, “I don’t think I…”_

_He grabs her arm and shakes her, “I said put your fucking clothes on!”  Scared and terrified, as tears start to flow down her cheeks, she hurries to comply to his demands._

_“But I swear to you sir, I didn’t do anything to hurt the Prince… I like him…”_

_“Wrong answer!” he slaps her so hard she flies off the bed.  “No Prince would dare to beholden himself to a girl so willing to spread herself before marriage.  I bet you put a spell on him, didn’t you?!”_

_“Please!” curling up into a corner, “I swear it’s not true!  I would never be taken before marriage…”_

_He grabs the trembling girl again and lifts her up, “Hear me loud and clear girl, if you so much as tell anyone that you were here or that you even met the Prince at all, I will make damn sure no man will ever want you, do you understand?”  She nods her head fervently, “You wouldn’t want to be known as a whore, do you?”  She shakes her head as more tears stream down her face.  “Then you take this to your grave!  Now clean yourself up cause I’m taking you outta here and I never wanna see your face again!...”_

 

The girl had meant nothing to him for if he truly believed she had slept with Natsu that made her a slut in his eyes.  And he needed to protect his friend…  With one last deep exhale he enters…

“Oh my God…” he can’t believe the sight in front of him.  “Lucy?”  _‘What the hell is going on?  Where’s the other girl?’_   No, instead, they are no longer in the barracks, but the palace and the young blonde girl is lying on the bed a bloody heap.  Her face is bruised and eye blackened, hair a jumbled mess, knotted and tangled, and what little clothes remain on her body is in tatters.  “L-lucy?”

“He did this to me Sting,” the girls one eye stares at him, she sits up, “Natsu did this to me…”

“No, he’d never….”

“After we got married he changed,” she stands up, “became abusive…” and slowly ambles towards him.      

Sting can see cuts and marring over her legs and arms, her frame has become so frail and thin, “It’s not possible…” stuttering, “I know him, he couldn’t…”

“This is all your fault Sting…” she reaches out but collapses forward, too weak to sustain her own weight.      

He catches her and cradles her in his arms as they both sink to the floor, “How is this my fault?”

“After he learned how you took care of his ‘situation,’ it made him think being cold and heartless was strength, because then no one would dare take advantage of him again…”

“B-But that’s not what happened…”  tears pool at his lids, “I-I didn’t want to…”

“He started beating me, if I so much as look at him wrong, he hits me, if I don’t give him what he desires, he doesn’t let me eat…”

“I need to stop him, Lucy, I can’t let him hurt you too!”

“But don’t you believe you did the right thing?  Didn’t you enjoy it?”

“No!  I didn’t enjoy it, I didn’t want to do what I did…  I knew it was wrong and I was stupid and I’m so sorry!  I’m so sorry,” he closes his eyes and tightens his grip around her, “Oh God I’m so sorry Lucy!”

“it’s okay Sting…” she hugs him back, “Everything is gonna be okay…”

 

  _Emptiness._   “Lucy!”  Sting’s eyes pop open and he’s back in the hut.  “Where’d she go?”

“Ah, your back,” a tender voice brings him back to his senses, “and you were successful.” Gesturing to the bottle.

“Huh?”  When he looks down at the bottle in his hand, “It’s full?”

The man smile, “The Elixir.”

“I’ve gotta get back to Lucy now!”

~~~X~~~

“It’s you!” Natsu glares at the witch.  “Why are you doing this?!”

“Have you not figured it out yet Prince?  I could have killed you for what you did to my daughter…”

His eyes widen, _‘her daughter!’_

“…But instead I wanted to teach you a lesson.  I had hoped that if and when your curse was broken, you would repent and tell your new love the truth.”  She looks to the sky, “how can one love without being honest to themselves and to those they care most about…” turning back to him, “but you didn’t.  You lied to Lucy saying it was a simple prank when you knew, the three of you knew it was no joke!”

“I couldn’t tell her…” his shoulders slump, “I don’t even know what the truth was because I don’t remember all of it.  And,” he exhales, “I worried that if I told her what Gray and Sting said had happened she’d leave me...”

Karen snickers, “Well, now you will find out won’t you, because your only hope of breaking her curse is to atone for what you did; that will be your ultimate test.”  Laughter echoes from the woman as she fades away right before his eyes.

“Wait…  the Chalice…”  and where the witch had been standing, it lies…  Lucy’s beautiful smile flashes in his mind as he picks up the cup, “It’s time to end this nightmare…”

~~~XX~~~

Gray was the first to arrive back at the capital, followed by Sting, but it was not for 2 more days still before Natsu came riding in and no sooner than he was dismounting from his horse a panicked group of people came running out of the palace.  “She’s gone!” Levy flings herself at Natsu, beating at his chest, “Lucy took off in the middle of the night and no one knows where she went!”

“What do you mean she’s gone!” he grabs her arms to still her.  “You guys were supposed to be watching over her!”  

“She slipped out while everyone was a sleep.”  Gajeel pulls his girlfriend away from Natsu to comfort her, “no one saw anything.”

“Something had to have…  how was she acting before it happened?”

“Come to think of it,” Erza, steps out from the group, “like you used to before you would disappear for long periods of time.”

Natsu’s heart drops, “she’s depressed…”  Sinking to his knees, the young Prince cannot hold back the tears from sneaking through, _‘Oh God…  I would have gladly accepted death than to let her feel this pain…’_

“Snap out of it!” Gray slaps Natsu, “We didn’t go through everything we did to give up, now think!” grabbing his friend by the shirt and standing him up, “Where might she go?”

“I…”

“Oi,” Sting shakes the man too, “Where did you go to hide?”

“T-the cave,” he stammers out, “It’s a cave on Mount Heiwa, the place we lost our hearts...”

Cana, “Well then let’s go boys!  We’ve got no time to spare,” turning to her friend, “Levy, you have the spell, right?”

“Yeah…”

 

It had been almost a year since Natsu had been back to the cave, and the last time was when he was still a dragon.  With flight, the distance had been maybe a half hour but by horse, it took the group almost 10 hours to reach just the base of the mountain or as far as the horses could trek, and that still left the hike up.    

Gray, “How long do you think it’ll take to get up there?”

Natsu, “It’s maybe half way up, just before the tree line ends.”

Levy, “It’s getting dark, should we camp here for the night and head out first think in the morning?”

Natsu, “No way, I’m not leaving her alone another night!”

Sting, “Then we go, Leo, Gajeel stay here with the horses, the rest of us will uses our glow wands to light the way, Natsu you lead.”

Erza, “Someone’s eager…”

“Yeah!” the blonde male glares back, “to finish this once and for all so we can move the fuck on!”

 

Two hours later, the group finally reaches the cave entrance and low and behold there she is curled up in the same spot she and Natsu had slept the first night they had met.  Natsu rushes over, hugging desperately to Lucy.  “You scared the hell out of me!  Why’d you leave the palace?”  She lifts her head to nuzzles him back, “Never mind, I’m just glad your safe.”

Pulling back, he kisses her nose, “We’ve got all the keys,” and smooths her muzzle, “shall we get you back to normal?”  She nods, “I agree.” 

Levy rummages through a small bag she had been carrying and pulls out the spell book, “Alright, where are the items you were sent to retrieve, bring them to me.”  Each of the guys walk up with their pieces, Gray, the Jewel of Reflection, Sting, the Elixir of Contrition, and finally Natsu, with the Verity Chalice.  “Natsu, hold up the cup,” he does as he’s told, “now Gray put the jewel in,” dropping it in with a clang, “Sting, pour in the elixir.”

She takes the cup in one hand and with the help of Cana holding the book open for her and Erza a glow wand, so she can see the words, the trio of women make their way over to Lucy as Levy begins to recite the incantation.

“Gia na sas metamorfósoume píso stin anthrópini morfí sas, boreí i exiléosi aftón ton anthrópon na anoíxei to drómo kai afíste tin alítheia na sas afísei eléftheri!  (To transform you back to your human form, may the atonement of these men pave the way, and let the truth set you free!)”  Levy takes the now glowing liquid to Lucy, “You must drink this, and if Natsu speaks the truth, it will break the spell on you.”

At first Lucy hesitates, a part of her is afraid that he won’t and that might be hard to bear.  If he had truly loved her, why hadn’t he just been honest from the beginning?  Or was what he had done so terrible that it may causes her to leave him, in that case, does she want to be with a man like that?  She starts to turn her head away.  “Lu, you need to…”

A hand falls on Levy’s shoulder and when she turns to look it’s Natsu, “I think…” he hangs his head, “I think I know why she is scared.”  He takes the cup from the girl, “Could you all give us some privacy, please.”

“No way I’m leaving you two…” but now Lucy nudges her friends shoulder, “Are you sure Lu?”  The dragon nods her head.  “Fine, but I’m not leaving the cave.”

Natsu nods, “All I’m asking for is some space.”

Once everyone has moved to the entrance, he kneels in front of Lucy.  “You’re worried… about what the truth will be huh?”  she nods her head.  He exhales, “I won’t lie anymore, it’s not something I am proud of, and even now the fear that you will leave me, when I tell you it’s, it’s…”  she wraps her tail around him as if to say that won’t happen.  “Drink it for me please, baby, I need to do this for you.”

She puffs and nods allowing him to pour the viscous substance into her mouth.  It tastes so gross, shaking her head, once, twice, then stands up, as a peculiar feeling washes over her.  Looking back at him she snorts.  He takes one more deep breath and closes his eyes…

“One night at the barracks, Gray and I were drinking…  He had invited a girl to party with us and after getting drunk I, I…  had sex with her.”  He peaks, with one eye as everyone around them starts to murmur, _‘why isn’t anything happening?’_   “Why isn’t it working?” he turns to Levy, “I’ve admitted what I did…”

“How should I know?!  It says if you tell the truth it will breaks the curse.”

 _‘Unless, I really hadn’t…’_   “Maybe it wasn’t true…” he looks at Gray and Sting, “You guys told me I had sex with her!”

Gray screams back, “Well that’s what looked like happened!  Damn it…”

Sting, “That means…  what we did,” he looks at Gray, “was for nothing?  I, I scared that poor girl, for nothing!” grabbing Gray by the shirt, “all because you assumed!”

“Hey, they were both half naked, what the hell else was I supposed to think?!”

“Could you two just shut it!” he turns back to Lucy, “I was too drunk to remember… but this means I didn’t have sex with her!  That’s the truth!  God, I should have trusted my own feelings from the beginning…”

Lucy’s body begins to glow, just like Natsu’s had when his curse had broken and slowly, the form of a girl, albeit a naked one began to take shape.  In a panic, Natsu pulls his coat off and starts screaming to everyone to turn around as he places it on her prone body. 

Once the glowing subsides, he cradles her in his arms.  “Lucy…  wake up for me baby…  Please wake up…”

“Na…tsu…” a meek voice finally breaks the still of the cave.

“Oh, thank God!” hugging her tightly to him, “You’re back, I’ve got you back!”

“Natsu…” she reaches up to caress his cheek, “I was afraid, but I never would have left your side…  I fell in love with the man you became after that happened, and don’t be mad at your friends, they were only trying to protect you.”

“I promise you Luce, I will never, ever do anything so stupid…”

She smiles, “Now that is probably a lie, try sticking to the truth.”

He grins, “Alright,” kissing her lips, “I’m gonna spend the rest of my life trying to keep you happy.”

“Promise?”

 


	22. Ke Aloha Nei

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is an interim sequel to Hawaiian Souvenir (found in Fairy Lemon Drops ;)  
> and the story Keahi: Sequel to Hawaiian Souvenir for Day 26’s prompt Hawaii. 
> 
> Fic Writer’s Appreciation- January 2018 Writing Challenge Day 24 Vacation

Ever since that fateful trip 11 years ago, Natsu and Lucy had always wanted to return to the Island of Hawaii with their son.  They had taken Nashi once when she was about 10 but now their son Keahi was old enough to appreciate the beautiful state.  So, it was decided that for summer vacation this year, the whole family would go.

 

The young boy had already heard the story of his conception about a thousand times by now, and his father had always shared his love of the volcanoes with his son.  So, it was no surprise that one of the most important plans during this trip was to hike to the current flow still going since 1983.  

From the end of Chain of Crater’s Road, it wasn’t an easy hike, 10-12 miles round trip over rock and gravel, old A’a and Pahoehoe flows that have built over many years under the hot Hawaiian sun.  But they came prepared with lots of sunblock, water, and dressed appropriately for the grueling walk; Lucy was nothing if not always prepared for anything.

3 hours later they finally arrive at the viewing location and all the two guys can do is stare with their mouths hanging open.  It is such a breathtaking sight, as the beautiful reds and oranges bubble and slowly inch their way to the sea. 

“Son,” Natsu puts his hands on the boy’s shoulders, “This is what it looks like when new land is being created.”

“Really?!” the child looks up at his father, “But it’s like all gooey looking.”

But the man just chuckles and smiles, “That gooey looking stuff will cool down and turn into the rock you are now standing on.”

Keahi looks at his feet and taps the black stone, “Huh?  That’s pretty neat.”

“Yeah…” he grins at his son, “Neat.”

With sunset almost over, the two women are more interested in the stars that are about to come out and settle on a smooth ledge they find.  But for the guys, with the sun gone, and the heat of the lava becoming a little more bearable, they go as close to the flows edge as they can.

A pleasant silence settles between father and son as they look out over the cliff where the flow meets the Pacific Ocean.  Crackling and occasional bursts when the superheated lava meets the cool, salty waters, entertain the gathered crowds with plumes of smoke billowing towards the heavens.

_‘He wahine ikaikaʻo ia…’   ‘Mai kahi'āina'ē…’   ‘Me ke ahonui a me ka pono…’_

_‘Hawaiian music?’_  The young boy looks around him, is someone’s radio playing?  The melodic and yet haunting female’s voice seems to float through the air like a breeze.

_‘He kanaka ikaikaʻo ia…’   ‘Mai kahi'āina'ē…’_

Keahi looks up at his dad who is still just staring at the lava. _‘Me ke ahi a me ka ikaika i loko o konaʻuhane…’_

“Dad, do you hear that?”

_‘Akā naʻe, ua kāhea kēia'āina iā lākou…’_

“Hear what son?”

 “The music…”    _‘ ʻO kā lāua kaikamahine keʻano o nā meaʻelua…’_

“I don’t hear any music,” Natsu looks down at his boy confused, “Maybe it’s someone’s radio in the distance.”

 _‘Akā, e lilo kā lākou keiki i ka mana o kona makua kāne…’_ “Maybe…”  _‘But wouldn’t he hear it too?’_

The young child looks around again, no one around them seems to notice it either.  _‘A e mālama i kēia'āina me ka hanohano…’_ He shrugs it off and continues to share this divine experience with his dad…

 

While Lucy and Natsu prepare their children for the walk back, they hand out the headlamps and flashlights.  In the darkness, the rocky path of jagged and brittle lava can be dangerous to traverse, with slips and falls occurring all the time. 

But as the adults’ fuss over matters the boy finds boring, he kneels and using his flashlight, searches for anything more interesting on the ground.  Most of the area is solid rock, a few leaves or twigs blown across the fields, until something shiny catches his attention.

Little, drop-shaped stones.  He picks one of the larger pieces up to examine it’s smooth, glossy appearance.

“Pele’s Tears…” a strange female voice, “Take it Keahi, and treasure it until you return…”  

He looks up, “Who are you?” the young boy slips onto his butt, afraid of the strange older Hawaiian woman standing above him, “H-How do you know my name?”

“Keahi?” his mother calls over to him, “What are you doing over there?”

“Because I gave it to you,” the woman smiles.  “Now, go to your mother, Keahi…  Until we meet again…”

He gets up and runs over to his family, shaking, “Dad, some lady over there knew my name!”

Everyone looks over, “What lady?” his father asks, “There was no lady next to you.”

“She was right…” When he looks over to point, the boy’s face drops, “I swear she was right there!  She said she gave me my name.”

Natsu looks at his wife a little nervous, “Pele.”  She nods, “Keahi, did she say anything else to you?”

“Y-yeah, she told me to take the stone I was holding, t-treasure it until I return.”

“Show me the stone,” his dad grabs the boys hand and when he sees it, “Pele’s Tears.  No-no,” Natsu shakes his head, “It’s supposed to be bad luck to take anything off this island.”

“But dad, she said I could have it.”

“I don’t know son…”

“Please!  I promise I’ll take care of it.”

Natsu looks over to Lucy who just shrugs her shoulders, “You’re the one who knows about this stuff, not me.”

Turning back to his son, “Alright Keahi, but remember, locals believe that shouldn’t do anything to anger the volcano goddess.  If she told you that you could have it then fine, but make sure, you take care of it like it’s the most valuable thing in the whole world.”

“I will dad, I promise it.”

“Good, cause I don’t wanna be one of those people who gets cursed by her.” 

“Can we get out of here now?” A nervous Nashi rubs her arms, “it’s getting kinda creepy.”

Lucy, “I second that.”

 

Keahi takes one last look behind them and sees the woman standing off in the distance…  _‘A hui hou,_ _a hālāwai hou mākou…’_ But he is not scared anymore as a soothing, familial feeling washes over him and burns a new passion for this land, this aina into his heart…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations/Descriptions: In the order they appear
> 
> Ke Aloha Nei (Falling in Love)
> 
> He wahine ikaikaʻo ia (She is a strong woman)  
> Mai kahi'āina'ē (From a foreign land)  
> Me ke ahonui a me ka pono (With patience and virtue)
> 
> He kanaka ikaikaʻo ia (He is a strong man)  
> Mai kahi'āina'ē (From a foreign land)  
> Me ke ahi a me ka ikaika i loko o konaʻuhane (With fire and energy in his soul)  
> Akā naʻe, ua kāhea kēia'āina iā lākou (Yet this land calls for them)
> 
> ʻO kā lāua kaikamahine keʻano o nā meaʻelua (Their daughter carries traits of both)
> 
> Akā, e lilo kā lākou keiki i ka mana o kona makua kāne (But their son will inherit his father’s power)  
> A e mālama i kēia'āina me ka hanohano (And serve this land with honor)
> 
> Pele’s Tears- A ‘tear’ or drop shaped volcanic glass created when molten airborne droplets fuse, they are often attached to Pele’s hair, a super fine, strand-like volcanic glass. 
> 
> A hui hou, a hālāwai hou mākou (See you later, Till we meet again)
> 
> Aina (Land)
> 
> In this story, because Pele gives her permission, Keahi’s character is allowed to keep the souvenir. But, it is taboo to remove anything from the islands, many stories and tales of negative or bad things happening to people that do so can be found, and park rangers receive over 2,000 pounds of rocks each year from all over the world with letters to please return the items and stop the curses. So please, as a precaution, if you visit be mindful of the beliefs and superstitions still prevalent in Hawaii. If you are curious about these stories, there is a book called “Powerstones” by Linda Ching and Robin Stephens that’s an interesting read.


	23. Nirvana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fic Writer’s Appreciation- January 2018 Writing Challenge Day 25 Bora Bora
> 
> Newlywed, Lucy drags Natsu to the island of Bora Bora, and thanks to the chartered jet and all-expense paid wedding gift from her father, this private vacation was bound to be a lot of sun, and maybe too much fun ;)

It was a small to price to pay for a man, when it came to keeping his new wife happy.  Being dragged from the northern climes of their home in Japan to the South Pacific islands of Bora Bora.  For someone suffering from motion sickness, a long plane ride ending with a boat just to get their hotel, the thought alone was enough to make him nauseous. 

But then again, it was meant to be a romantic get-a-way, a honeymoon to remember and his partner had been utterly thrilled as soon as she saw the brochures.   

He had to admit that if the area was as scenic as the pictures depicted, it would have to be one of the most beautiful places on earth.   

Picture it, white sandy beaches…  crystalline teal waters of the lagoon, meets a cerulean blue sky.  Light, gentle breezes swaying the palm trees and sending hints of plumeria and vanilla wafting through the air.   

Two weeks alone in paradise amid the twittering Pacific Swallows and frolicking Manta Rays right outside of their patio.  Tropical delicacies from the land and sea to tantalize their taste buds.  Chilling in their infinity pool, relaxing on hammocks, or in their bed…  

“Hmm…” he licks his parched lips

With such a balmier climate, his smokin’ hot wife will surely be lounging in her bikini for most of the day…  an uptick at the corners of his mouth.  …or nothing at all…    

Images of the blonde bombshell in his favorite red bikini send his queasy feelings right out the window… man, how his fingers are just burning to get started.  _‘Hell, yeah baby!  Dragons gonna tease you and please you and leave you begging…’_   

“Natsu, what are you grinning about?”

He turns to see a bemused look on his wife’s face, “Nothin’ much babe, just taking my mind off the plane ride.”

“Oh…  I see…” Lucy saunters up to him and runs her finger along his chest till just above his navel, “Care to share what’s on your mind?”  she batts her lashes…

“Nah…” He grabs her waist, “Rather _show…”_ pushing his hips against hers _,_ “…you, as soon as we get to the hotel.”

“Mmm…” Lucy purrs, “I bet you do…”


	24. Keahi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fic Writer’s Appreciation- January 2018 Writing Challenge  
> January (2018) Day 26 Hawaii
> 
> This is a Sequel to Hawaiian Souvenir (Posted in Fairy Lemon Drops book) and the interim one Ke Aloha Nei
> 
> Story starts of 25 years after Hawaiian Souvenir and while it mentions Natsu and Lucy it’s focus is on their son and his journey.

The Dragneel’s were so proud of their son Keahi when he graduated from UH Manoa with a Master’s degree in GeoScience.  His father was especially honored by his son’s choice of volcanology since it was the field he had once hoped to work in. It had been a difficult road that took a lot of hard work, but the young man had finally made it.  But the best part came when he was granted an internship at the one place he has dreamed of working since the age of 10; Hawaii Volcanoes National Park’s USGS office.

There are other places around the world where volcanic activity is found, but nowhere in his opinion was more interesting than on the Island of Hawaii.  In the middle of the Ring of Fire, this hotspot holds one of the the longest, continuous lava flows in modern history, still going for over 34 years with no signs of stopping. 

Of course, his own personal history with Kilauea volcano and its resident deity, did play a role in this decision as evidenced by the souvenir around his neck.  His mother had the volcanic glass mounted as a pendant so that he could wear it all the time, and he rarely took the thing off.  When people asked about it he simply responded it was a good luck charm. 

Even his sister couldn’t escape the lure of the Aloha State.  After graduating with a degree in Astronomy from UH Hilo, an internship at Subaru’s Mitaka office in Japan, she had transferred back to their NAOJ office on the Island of Hawaii and now works at their telescope.  Married to her college sweetheart, Arashi Fullbuster, they are happily awaiting their first child.

Now with both of their kids living there, and their first grandchild on the way, it was a no brainer for Natsu and Lucy to buy a home on the island.  They decided on the East side and find the perfect one nestled just outside of Hilo in the Panaewa Rainforest.  That way, Keahi’s commute to work won’t be very far with him living there until his internship hopefully becomes a permanent position. 

 

One Saturday night, Keahi is hanging out at Coqui’s Hideaway Sports Bar with a couple of friends when a pretty, local hapa girl catches his eye.  Long, semi-wavy brown hair past her waist, sun-kissed skin, average height, maybe 5’ 7” tall with Asian eyes but not body.  Curves to her hips giving an hourglass figure not common for a pure Asian girl; she was of mixed heritage he was sure which is very common in the islands.

Being the daring guy, that alcohol can bring out of some people, he wanders over to introduce himself.

“Hey there pretty wahine, what’s your name?”

“Wahine?” she giggles, “How does a ha’ole boy like you know that word?”

“I may not have been born here, madam, but I was conceived on the island,” he grins back, “Name’s Keahi.”  Leaning on the bar, “So now that you know my name, how ‘bout telling me yours?”

She looks the young man up and down, golden blonde, short spiky-haired, with hazel green eyes, though more on the emerald side, toned and a nicely built physique.  At first glance he looked completely Caucasian, but the almond shape to his eyes hint of something else, _‘Maybe hapa too?’_   “Well, Keahi, I’m Hi’iaka.” 

“Spirit of dance,” he takes her hand and kisses it, “I’m sure those hips could soothe the gods.”

“Oh, brother…” she rolls her eyes, “Is that supposed to be cute?”

“On the contrary, you’re named for one of Pele’s favorite sisters, and one whose dance could calm the fiery goddess,” tipping his head up, “therefore, it is a _completely,_ benign statement.”

 _‘Cocky much?’_   Not wanting to stroke his ego, “Not bad, did you learn that from a book?”

He grins, “You’d be surprised why I know such things.”

“Even your name, how’d you end up with a Hawaiian one if you’re not from here?”

“Now that is a story I would tell you, after getting to know you better.”

She laughs, “There’s an actual story behind it?”

“According to my mother yes, she swears by it.”

“Hmm,” the young woman relaxes, “Well, I must admit you are an interesting guy, different from the ones that usually flirt with me.”

“Interesting enough to get a second date out of you?”

“Second?” she tilts her head confused, “Was there a first one I didn’t know about?”

“I think this counts…  So, next week, same time, same place?” he holds out his hand, “Give me your cell.”

“Why?”

“Duh, so I can program my number into it, that way if the answer is yes you can text me, if not well then, I won’t have your number and can’t bother you anymore; fair?”

“That sounds fair,” she hands over the iPhone to him, “You better give me your real number and not a fake one.”

He punches his info into her address book and hands it back to her, “Oh, don’t worry, I’m gonna pray to Pele as soon as I walk away that you’ll call me.”

She laughs again, “You really are strange.”

With the grin he has inherited from his father, “Have a good evening, Hi’iaka,” he kisses her hand and walks away.

But before he can make it back to his friends, his phone pings, _‘Friday, 7pm @ E Komo Mai, they’ve got a good band playing, kinda local, country type :) ‘_  - Hiiaka

 _‘Lighthouse band, can’t wait :)  Sweet dreams’_   - Keahi

 

By the end of their second date, Hi’iaka gives him her phone number and they make plans to meet for dinner the following evening.  Keahi picks her up from her apartment and takes her to Hilo Bay Café, a local fusion restaurant he’s come to enjoy. 

After their meal, it’s such a beautiful night, they decide to walk along the sidewalk fronting Liliuokalani Gardens and relax on one of the benches.  He puts his arm along it’s backing with his fingers lightly draping over her shoulder, subtle, but not too overwhelming, in case she felt he was moving too quickly.  But she surprises the young man by leaning against him.

“So, tell me more about you Keahi, starting with how you got your name; I assume it’s your real one and not a nickname.”

“It is,” he chuckles, “Keahi Ryuu Dragneel.  My parents tell anyone who’ll listen that I was conceived during their 7-year wedding anniversary trip to this beautiful island.  But according to my mother, on their last night here in Waikoloa, they had picked up and old woman in white walking along the highway…”

“Are you serious, you’re talking about Pele, aren’t you?”

“Yup, they said the woman told my mom she was pregnant with a boy and to name him Keahi, then 5 months later, low and behold, the doctors confirmed she was having a boy.  It creeped them out, but they still gave me the name.”

“I’ve heard of similar stories happening, but it was always, you know a friend’s, cousins, uncles, whatever, just never first hand…  Wow…” she sinks further against him.  “That’s kinda fascinating.”

“Oh, and that’s not all, we came back here when I was, I think 10 to visit and she appeared to me and gave me this,” he lifts-up the pendant from his neck, so she can see it easier, “but I still have a hard time believing it all.  Anyways, that’s the story behind my name.”

“I believe it,” Hi’iaka looks up at him, “Growing up with the stories…  I think it could happen.”

“Oh great, well you and my mother will get along fine then.” Growing braver, his arm drifts to wrap around her shoulder.  “Enough about me, it’s your turn, tell me something about you like, um, what are your nationalities?”

“I’m half Japanese, a quarter Hawaiian, the rest Chinese and Portuguese.”

He pinches her hip, “Now I know where you get these curves…”

Giggling, “Yeah, the ones you couldn’t keep your hands off last night…” she teases back, “so what’s your background?”

 “Half Japanese, Half English, I think my father’s great-grandparents came to America from Japan in the late 1800’s and my mom’s grandparents immigrated from England right after the world wars.”

“What do they do for a living?”

“Well my mom’s a fiction writer and my dad run’s the family company.”

“Which is?”

“Err, it’s um, Heartfillia Corporation.”

“Whoa!  That’s a huge company!”

“I take it you’ve heard of it?”

“Do they live here or still in California?”

“They bought a house here when I got the intern position I told you about, and my mom loves it in Hawaii so, she’s decided to stay for a while, plus my sisters gonna have her kid soon so she wants to be around for that.”

“And your dad commutes?”

“When he needs to, he can run a lot of things from here.”

Hi’iaka looks down and fidgets with the fingers in her lap, “I feel a little weird now, I’ve never known anyone from such higher standings…”

“Hey,” he tips her chin up and softens his tone, “My folks are not the typical, stuck up rich people, you’re thinking about, they’re really down to Earth.”

“But still, I’m sure they’d prefer you date, I don’t know a girl who’s from that world…”

“Trust me, my mom would love you.  They just want their kids to be happy, like they were when they got married.”

“How do you know for sure?”

He sighs, is this really such a big issue?  “My dad comes from a working-class family, and even though my grandfather started Heartfillia Corp, my mom never acted like a rich girl, I mean she fell for my dad even though he didn’t come from money.  And look at my sister’s husband, his family is middle class too; Hi’iaka, they don’t care about social standings.”

“I guess…”

Clasping her hands and squeezing, “Why don’t you see for yourself?  My dad will be back in a couple of days and I could take you to meet them…”

 

Six months later, Keahi gets an opportunity to put his new skills to the test.  Over the years, random lava flows have burned structures in the sparsely habited district of Puna, and the last town to be destroyed was Kalapana, but now for the first time in 24 years Kilauea volcano threatens another one.  

Pahoa is still a rural city by most standards but one that was slowly growing, and this flow was heading straight for it; literally.  If it stays on its present course, it will cut straight through the town.  Luckily for the residents, it was a slow-moving flow, but it was still all hands-on deck for the volcanologists of the USGS. 

National Guard troops were brought in to support but it was up to the scientists to monitor it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Any new fissures or an unknown lava tube opening-up at any moment could prove devastating. 

 

One evening, after a double shift of monitoring the seismographs, Keahi finally heads home to get some much-needed sleep.  It’s only about a 30-minute drive at that late hour but when you’re dead tired, the fog can make seeing difficult. 

He turns up the radio, hoping that the loud noise will help to keep his mind active, even singing along.  But no coffee in the world could make a difference.  10 minutes into the drive, the car begins to slowly veer as his brain shuts down and his eyes flutter closed…

“Wake up!”

A loud voice screams at him.

“Get up Keahi!”

“Huh?”  The young man sits up straight in his seat and veers back into his own lane.  Looking around him, “Did I hear that for real?”  When he glances at his rearview mirror, to his shock, sits a beautiful young Hawaiian woman in white.  His starts to beat rapidly, “How’d you get in my car!”

“That doesn’t matter, ke keiki'ōpio, and do not worry so much about Pahoa, it will not be harmed.”

“What?  How would you know that?”

His eyes widen in a panic as the woman’s orbits glow red, “It is my will…” and she fades away in the blink of an eye, leaving it a dark and empty backseat again.

Needless to say, Keahi stays wide awake for the rest of the drive but tells no one of his spirit visitor.  The scientist in him tells that people will just think he is crazy but a small part of him, the child inside calms the young man, _‘just believe her…’_

He was grateful no doubt, for if she hadn’t appeared it was more than likely he would have crashed, but still what did this woman, this goddess want from him anyways?  There was nothing special about the boy from California to warrant such divine intervention. 

And what about the flow ending, from all their calculations, the magma chamber fueling it showed no signs of running out anytime soon.  Was the volcano goddess trying to tell the people something?  Maybe remind them of how easily she could take back the land she helps to create?  _‘Just believe her…’_ the child within reminds the man…

 

Her words come to fruition.

 

While the flow did reach the towns border after 7 months of slow progress, covering a small cemetery, and part of the refuse center, the town itself was left unscathed.  Within a month, the citizens could breathe a sigh of relief when the all clear was officially made and the guardsmen could finally pull out of their sleepy little town.

_‘Maybe I do just need to believe…’_

For his efforts, Keahi was rewarded with a full-time position at the USGS and to celebrate, he takes his girlfriend to Jaggar Museum and the rim overlooking Halema’uma’u Crater to show her the latest lava lake forming.

“I can’t wait to see some fountains,” he smiles and squeezes her hand, “but so far I haven’t been that lucky.”

“I’m sure it’s just a matter of time,” Hi’iaka smiles back.

He lets her hand go so she can lean against the railing but takes up the spot behind her, arms wrapped around her midsection.  She smiles and stares out over the expanse, “You were right…  It is beautiful here at sunset.

Leaning his head against hers, whispering, “I can think of something else much more beautiful to look at during sunset…” The warmth of his breath, travelling over and teasing her skin, she closes her eyes to let the moment take her away. 

“Is that so…” voice wispy, matching his timber

A nibble on her ear, “from sunset…” another nibble, “…to sunrise…” her body shudders, “…and every second in between…”

The young woman feels a stirring in the depths of her soul, his words, both oral and unspoken reverberate through her very core; never has any man made her feel so alive with such a simple token! 

She turns to face him and weaves her hands around his neck, to pull him into a kiss… 

Her lithe form molding against his solid frame the tighter his embrace becomes as their torrid bodies rival the heat rising from the caldera behind them. 

…her fingers tangle themselves through his golden spikes while he grips to her waist, hips, caressing, exploring more amorous in nature…  He sighs against her plush, sweet lips…

There is something he’s been meaning to ask her, but every time the moment is perfect… he chokes.  In fact, Keahi had brought her to the spot with those exact intentions, hoping that in a calming place for him, it would help; but so far, no luck.

So, just as he was about to give up, it feels like a warm blanket is swathed over his shoulders, pushing away the cold sting of anxiety.  He didn’t need to look up to know, someone was guiding him…   

Prying his lips away, he leans his forehead against Hi’iaka’s, _Exhale,_ and just blurts it out, before he might stop himself again, “I want you to move in with me.”

She pulls back to study Keahi’s face; is this man serious?  Evident by the twitching and slightly trembling fingers still clutched around her waist, his anxiety was mounting the longer it takes her to respond.  But, to move in with him is such a huge step, is she ready for it?

There was no doubt in her mind, that there was that everlasting spark you dream about finding some day between them.  They had been dating for just over a year and she liked him, a lot, even dare she say it, maybe love? 

 _‘Take a leap of faith…’_   Hi’iaka stiffens, “Did you hear that?”

Keahi tilts his head in confusion, “Hear what?”

“A woman’s voice…”  _‘This one is special Hi’iaka…’_  

“I don’t hear anything,” he tilts her head up, softening his tone, “Is it your conscious…  or,” with a goofy grin, “please don’t tell me you’re going crazy.”

“Omph!” she slaps his chest, “I am not going crazy!”

“Okay, okay, I believe you,” He chuckles and kisses her forehead, “so, what did this woman’s voice tell you?”

“It’s not in important,” sighing, “I’ll move in with you Keahi.”

“Really!” He picks her up and swings her around in a circle.  “You’re not messing with me, right?”

“No,” she smiles, “I’ll give you a chance…”

 

Fast forward another year…

 

Keahi calls Hi’iaka early one evening, with such excitement in his voice he can’t get his words out fast enough, “Babe you’ve gotta come up here!”

“Why?”

“It’s happening, I finally get to see it!”

“See what?!  Keahi you’re confusing me…”

“Just hurry before it dies down, I’ll call the guards to let you through…” She hears him cover the receiver, “I-I’ve gotta get back to work, just meet me at the overlook.  Bye babe see you soon!”  _Click_

Hi’iaka’s not exactly thrilled about driving to volcano tonight.  She, Keahi’s mother and sister Nashi had spent the whole day doing what Lucy called a day out for just the girls, shopping for birthday party necessities and other household goods, then ending in a relaxing spa treatment at Spa Vive. 

It had been really nice for the young woman that Lucy and the rest of Keahi’s family had indeed opened their hearts to her and once she moved in, their relationship had only grown because of it.  And she was excited to be helping Nashi plan her daughter’s first birthday party.  With no nieces or nephews of her own yet, this child was in essence going to be her first. 

About 30 minutes later, Hi’iaka pulls into the parking lot of Jaggar Museum and immediately the reason for her boyfriend’s excitement becomes clear.  “Fountains!”  She walks to the railing in awe, even though she was born and raised in Hilo, she had never seen it for herself.  

“My god, it really is…”

“Beautiful.”

She whips around to the sound of the female voice and chills run down her spine.  _‘Pele!’_

The woman in white grins, “Come to see Keahi?  Or my beautiful show?”

“B-both…” Hi’iaka stammers.  “C-could I ask you a question?”

“Hele i mua, what do you seek?”

“Why…”

“Keahi?” Pele answers before Hi’iaka can even finish, “I sensed strength in his soul, ancient like the kahunas of old.”  Turning to her caldera, “His father loved my fire and he instilled that in his son,” she looks over her shoulder with a smirk, “with a little help from me.  E mālama iā Keahi, he is a great man, be good to him…”  

As Hi’iaka watches the woman fade away she leans against the railing again trying to still her racing pulse.  To be visited by Pele, to converse with her…  She had been afraid and yet now, it was almost comforting to know how much the goddess cares for her boyfriend.  _‘Special…  Yeah that’s an understatement,’_ she chuckles in her head.                 

 

Keahi steps out of the building and sees his beautiful girl leaning against the rail.  _‘How’d I get so lucky…’_   A slight breeze wafting up from the ridge is gently blowing her hair back, the angle of her relaxed frame is catching hints of the glowing magma dancing before her…

He pulls the box out of his pocket just as he is about to reach her.  “Hi’iaka?”

“Keahi…” she hugs him, “You were right, these fountains are amazing!  Thank you for sharing this with me.”

Smiling and kissing her, he takes her left hand, “So, did you have fun with my mom and sister today?”

“Uh-huh, we found most of the stuff for the favors and decorations for Sora’s birthday party.  I think your mom wanted to start putting them together next weekend.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”  He smiles, “I’m sorry I kept you waiting out here, there was a spike in the sensors at this end of the caldera, nothing major, weird actually, but it lasted about 10 minutes.”

“It’s okay, I wasn’t waiting long.  But you said it lasted 10 minutes?”  _‘That’s about how long I was talking to her…’_  “Was that about 20 minutes ago?”

“Yeah,” he tips his head, “How’d you figure that, did you see something, was there a lot of fountains or something?”

“Or something,” she murmurs, but when he looks at her more inquisitively she shakes her head, “just a couple of big fountains,” squeezing his hand, “Are you happy now that you got to see the lava fountains?”

A large grin takes over his face, “Very!  But you know what’s even better?”

“What’s that?”

Keahi drops to one knee, “Proposing to the girl I love in front of them…” 

Her free hand flies up to cover her mouth, “Oh my goodness…” as he holds out the ring to her.  The light from the caldera catches in the moisture developing in her eyes, making them sparkle even more. 

“Hi’iaka, Will you marry me?” 

“Y-Yes!” she cries, tears have broken through and begin trickling down her face.  With the ring securely on her finger she tackles him in a hug before he can fully stand; thank goodness for the railing.

 _“E mālama pono kekahi i kekahi…”_ a voice whispers in their ears as they share a long-held kiss…

 

Mouthing the words, _“I love you…”_  while he cradles her face, wiping away the few tear stains along her cheeks, “I think Pele approves…” sniffling through her words, eyes trailing over to the peaks of fire almost cresting the walls that hold them.

“I’m sure she does,” smiling, kissing her again, “considering she put all this into motion 27 years ago…”

 

 

* * *

 

Translations/Definitions:

Hawaiian words:

Keahi- (fire)  *note Hawaiian words with the letter “I” are pronounced with more of a “e” sound.

Hi’iaka- (spirit of dance)  Is also the name of one of Pele’s sisters.

Pelehonumea- Goddess of fire and volcanoes in Polynesian culture.  She is seen as a young or old woman in red or white or as a white dog

Hapa- generally means a person of mixed ethnic heritage.  I included this because not only am I mixed (the ratio given for Hi’iaka’s character is actually my own), but many in Hawaii are of mixed decent and proud of it! 

Wahine- (woman or female)  *note Hawaiian words with the letter “W” are pronounced with more of a “v” sound.  And just for additional info, Kane is the word for man or male

Ha’ole- means ‘no breath’, generally means someone foreign.  Some use it in a derogatory manner especially to address Caucasians, but the reason it had come to mean a foreigner is because the Hawaiian’s would greet each other by sharing each other’s breath, and someone not from here, who didn’t know the custom was a ha’ole or foreigner.  I included this word even though some do not like it or consider it PC but frankly oh well, it’s meaning is what it is and if stupid people misconstrue that I can’t help it.

Kahuna- (priest)

Ke keiki'ōpio (young one)

Hele i mua (go ahead)

E mālama iā Keahi (take care of Keahi)

E mālama pono kekahi i kekahi (take care of each other)

 

Ryuu- means dragon in Japanese

Arashi- means storm in Japanese

Sora- means sky in Japanaese

 

Places/Other Info:

Aloha State- One nickname for the State of Hawaii <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloha>

Ring of Fire- <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Fire>

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park- <https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm>

Jaggar Museum is located in the park

USGS (United States Geological Society)

Kilauea Volcano- <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%ABlauea>

NAOJ- <https://www.nao.ac.jp/en/>  &  <https://subarutelescope.org/>  it’s a nice facility

UH Manoa (island of Oahu) & UH Hilo (island of Hawaii)- Two state universities in Hawaii

Coqui’s Hideaway Sports Bar- <http://coquishilo.com/>

E Komo Mai Lounge- A popular bar that hosts many outdoor concerts.

Lighthouse Band- While there is a Canadian group by this name, there is also a small group with this name here in Hilo, the lead singer is a friend of mine and I love when he sings Tennessee Whiskey.  While Hawaii has it’s own style of music, Country is quite popular here, most likely due to its rich history of Paniolo’s (Cowboy’s) and ranching.

Hilo Bay Café- <http://hilobaycafe.com/>

Liliuokalani Gardens- <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liliuokalani_Park_and_Gardens>

District of Puna on the Big Island, where the towns of Kalapana and Pahoa are located.  The events used in the this story involving a lava flow threatening these areas, have and do occur, the last one that almost destroyed Pahoa was in 2014.

Halema’uma’u Crater- <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halemaumau_Crater>

Spa Vive- <http://www.spavive.com/>  the woman that owns this spa is really nice. 

 

Some of the things mentioned in this story are based on real local lore, stories of Pele appearing to people have been told for years, including within my own family. 

 

 

 


	25. Doodles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember when you may have doodles and scribbled in your notebooks back in school, especially about your crush?

It’s lunch time at Magnolia high where most of the students assemble in the cafeteria.  Lucy is hanging out with her friend Levy waiting for the rest of the group to show up and as they wait, the blonde scribbles in her notebook…

Levy taps her friends shoulder, “So, are you ever gonna tell him how you really feel?”

“But look at him,” Lucy glances over at the high school quarterback currently surrounded by the cheerleading squad.  “Mr. Popular over there, I can’t compete with those girls.” 

“What are you talking about, you guys are already close.”

“Yeah, but he’s also never asked me out,” _sigh_ , “he probably just sees me like a sister.” 

“You don’t cuddle with your sister.”

The blonde blushes, “How do you know we’ve done that?”

Levy giggles, “Gray told me, cause Natsu told him.”

“W-well it was a fluke, he got drunk after the homecoming game, I just helped him home, and sat with him till he fell asleep on his couch, that’s all.”

“Yeah, Lu, I was at that party remember, he was drunk, the head cheerleader was trying to get him to go home with her, but he ignored her and staggered over to you instead...”

“B-because he’s comfortable with me Levy, he knows I’ll just take care of him.”

“…and according to Gray, Natsu said he had you snuggled in his lap, his face all up in your hair cause he likes your scent.”  _Sigh_ , “Lucy you should just try and flirt with him, see what he does cause I think he might like you.”

Lucy flashes back to that night, apparently Natsu forgot or left out the part of his hand glued to her thigh and the sloppy kisses he was trying to place on her neck.  But the next morning he had acted like nothing happened and she broken heartedly chalked it up to the booze. 

She shakes her head more to erase the images than emphasize her resolve, “No thank you, he could’a just been doing that cause he was drunk and I’d rather not ruin our friendship if he doesn’t feel the same way…”

 

A couple weeks later on a Saturday afternoon, Natsu drops by Lucy’s house for their study date.  English has been giving him trouble and the young girl offered to help him study for the upcoming test.  Virgo, the maid lets him in saying Lucy should be in her room and to just go on up since he knows the way. 

When he reaches her bedroom, he notices the door is slightly ajar and peeks in slowly; Lucy’s asleep.  As the jokester that he is, he creeps in with plans to scare her, how dare she take a nap when she’s supposed to be ready to tutor him!  

But when he walks by her desk he sees her note book open and something catches his eye.  Scribbles along the margins, nothing out of the ordinary for a teenager, a couple stick figures, random squiggly lines or other doodles, and then a heart around two initials _‘L & N’_. 

 _‘Who the hell does ‘N’ stand for?’_   Surely, it’s not him, right?  Lucy’s never behaved like she had a crush on him, even after homecoming and the brief make-out session, she acted like nothing happened, so he thought maybe it really didn’t happen and it had been an alcohol induced dream.  

So, who else could it be? 

A small wave of anger erupts at just the idea she’d end up with another guy that’s not him.  His head tips up slightly as he runs names through his head, with plans to tell that person off, anyone he can think of that she might know, yet curiously no one with a name that starts with an ‘N’ comes to mind.  

That starts to relax him a little, _‘maybe it’s a character from an anime or something…’_   But now his curiosity or maybe ego demands he keeps looking.  Turning through the pages he finds more.  More hearts and initials in different sizes, colors, sometimes in capitals others lowercase, _‘Gah!  What is this guy’s name?!’_

Finally, at almost the last pages he hits pay dirt.  There it is, the confirmation he had been secretly hoping to find, _‘Lucy & Natsu’, ‘Lucy loves Natsu’_.  His pulse quickens with excitement, not only did his crush like him too but she’s fantasizing about the future!   _‘Lucy Dragneel’, ‘Lucy Heartfillia Dragneel, Mrs. Natsu Dragneel <3 <3 <3’_      

Pumping a fist in the air, he’s become so engrossed in looking through the note book that he doesn’t realize she’s waking up until he hears the gasp.  “Oh my god, what are you doing?!” 

Immediately, his body stiffens and turns to see a crimson faced girl, his lips part, “Um…” but the shade of color on her face is steadily growing darker, if that’s even possible when she realizes he’s just as flushed as she is.

A squeak escapes the blonde, as she flips her blanket over her, trying to hide from him.

“Lucy?”

“Lucy’s not here, she’s going to go die now from embarrassment.” 

Natsu blinks a couple of times at the adorable reaction.  Sure, he’s just as nervous but the way she’s acting only make her more endearing to him.  He shakes his head, chuckling, and makes his way to the bed, the mattress shifting as he sits down beside her.  “Lucy, you are so weird,” he pulls the blanket off her, but she simply brings her knees up and buries her head in her arms to avoid his gaze.  “Luce?”

“Natsu, please just go away, I-If you don’t feel…”

Another squeal, as he pulls her into his lap like he did that night of homecoming, “I wanna show you something Luce.”  He takes out his wallet and inside, tucked into the money section he pulls out a small photo, her eyes widening further when she sees it’s a picture of them from middle school with a heart drawn around her face and the caption, _‘my dream girl’_ written at the bottom.  “I was trying to muster up the courage to ask you out, just was worried you’d reject me.”

“I didn’t think you saw me like that,” She continues to stare at the picture, “y-you’re always surrounded by other girls and I’m not as popular as you…”

“Lucy I’m only popular cause of football, those girls never gave me the time of day till I became the quarterback...” tipping her chin to look at her face, “you know that.”

“Maybe…”

“Maybe?” he chuckles, “you’ve been by my side since before all that happened, why would I choose one of them over you?”

“I thought you’d prefer a prettier girl on your arm…”

He starts laughing, the arms around her waist tightening, “But, I’ve already got one.” 

“But that night after the game…  Natsu, the next day you acted like there was nothing between us and I assumed…”

“You acted like normal that morning Luce, so I thought I’d dreamt the whole thing…”

“What!” elbowing him in the gut, “Natsu why didn’t you say something instead of making me all crazy!”

But that outburst only makes him laugh harder, “I’m sorry Luce, how can I make it up to you?”

 _Exhale_ , “Holding me like this is a start.”

“Oh…” Natsu nuzzles her hair, “Anything else?”

“Err…” she bites her lip, “I don’t know, you think of something.”

“Hmm,” moving her hair away from her neck, “how about this…” he sweeps his lips against her skin, then presses them gently to the crook. 

A wispy sigh, breathes out of the blonde, “that works…”

He smiles and places more velvety kisses along her neck and shoulder.  “Definitely, much better than the fantasy…”  One of her hands snakes into his hair, fingers twining their way into the locks.  “So, does this mean I get to show you off at school now… as my girlfriend?”

She giggles, “Mmmhmm,” the squad’s gonna be so pissed.”

“Let ‘um,” maneuvering her onto her back, he caresses her cheek and kisses her lips, “You’re the only cheering section I need…” 


	26. Kryptonite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just short, silly, and cute NaLu

“Hey Lu…” He pops his head around the bedroom door frame and the sight his eyes bear witness to barely register the image.  All he had wanted to know was if she was ready to go, but obviously not.

Standing in front of her closet rummaging through the selection, was his girlfriend and blonde bombshell in nothing but a lacy red bra and panties.  Instantly his face turns crimson and a lightheaded feeling washes over him.

Lucy hears a thud and turns to look.  “Natsu?”  She knows he had to be right there, I mean his voice came from that direction.  After hanging the dress that she had been holding back on the rod, the blonde peeks out the door and sees him splayed out on the ground.

“Natsu!” she rushes over to his side and shakes him.  “Natsu are you okay?!”

“Ugh…” groaning, “Kryptonite…”

“Huh?” she tips her head, why is he talking about Superman?  “Natsu what are you babbling about?”

He opens his eyes but barely, “Red… Lace…”

And that’s when she remembers, _‘oh,’_ looking down at her partially clothed body, _‘right,’_ she was only in her underwear.  “But you like this set.”

“It’s my Kryptonite.”

“Uh!  You, goof!” she slaps his chest, “and you had me all worried!  Could you just get up and get ready please, the dinner reservations are for 7pm!”

He grins and clutches his chest, “But, I’m too weak in it’s presence…” 

Lucy narrows her eyes, “Is that so…” _sigh_ , “I guess you won’t be up for the night games I have planned later…”

“Night games?!” oh, how quickly he jumps to his feet and scoops her into his arms, “My bad, I just remembered, the red one removes inhibitions!”


	27. Truth is Better Than Fiction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy gets a letter from a secret admirer

[ _“I’ve held you in my heart for so long, I can’t even remember a time that you weren’t there…  So close and yet, still so far away, admiring you in secret, too afraid to reveal myself.  Ugh!  I’m just not very good with expressing these kinds of feelings like you are in your books._

_You’ve sometimes said you just wanna be loved, like the heroines of your tales, and it kills me to hear that because you are, you just don’t know it.  But I was afraid to say something because I don’t think I am some knight in shining armor._

_But, I shouldn’t be selfish anymore, you deserve at least the truth, whether it hurts me or not, to know how much you are loved, and cherished above all others.  I need to come clean.  Please meet me under South Gate Parks Magnolia tree at 8pm.  Forever yours- Secret Admirer”_ ]

 

Lucy kept blinking and replaying the words, _‘Secret Admirer…’_ over and over in head as she held the partially crushed paper in her trembling fingers. 

The letter had been slipped under her door sometime in the night waiting to be found in the morning when she would leave on her morning Starbucks run.  How did they know about her schedule?  _‘Duh, he’s probably been watching me…’_

She doesn’t know if she should be creeped out at having a stalker or elated that someone had a crush on her.  Anonymity is why she used a pen name, but who could it be?  _‘So close and yet, still so far away…’_   Was it someone in her group of friends?  It had to be, because that comment about the heroines was only said in close company.

Could it be Gray?  He was often around, not great at expressing some feelings, but, nah, he can do it if he needs to.  Loke?  No way, he doesn’t know how _not_ to express himself.  Rogue, now he’s definitely the quiet type, but isn’t he dating someone?  _‘Or maybe it’s…’_   Her heart skips a couple beats just thinking about her crush, _‘he does fit the description…’_

But this was not one of her stories, not some fairytale where all her wishes magically come true.  No, life didn’t usually work that way.  She had to laugh at her inner thoughts, such fanciful worlds are what she lived in through her tales, hell, it’s how she made her living.  Could she get her hopes up?  The letter did elude to it…

   

Well, there was only one way to find out.  Steeling her nerves, she walks into the park, checking her watch again, 5:55pm…  Just in time.  Straightening her skirt and top, flinching when a rustling sound startles her.  She stops to take a deep inhale, _‘Calm down Lu,’_ now is not the time to let her anxieties freak her out.   

The blonde pauses again when she sees the majestic old tree, is she really, ready for this?  _‘Please don’t let it be a creepy fan or something…’_  

With a last deep inhale, she rounds the tree and is rewarded with the one person she had prayed to the Literary Gods that it’d be.  Standing with his back to her, the man rocks nervously from side to side with his hands firmly entrenched in his jeans pockets.  Lucy stifles the gasp/giggle rising in her throat.

“N-Natsu?”     


	28. Earth to Natsu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy and Natsu are hanging out on the dorm roof when the topic of aliens come up... and not the little green men variety :) Short drabble from a Tumblr prompt challenge

As the couple lays on the roof of the dorm’s building staring up at the stars, Natsu turns to his girl, “Luce, do you believe in aliens?”

 

“You mean like little green men from Mars, no I don’t,” turning to face him, “why?”

 

“I think It’d be cool to meet the Guardians of the Galaxy,” his eyes sparkling with excitement, “especially Gamora cause she’s hot!”

 

“You do realize those are fictional characters, right, like movie make believe?”

 

He chuckles and grins wide, “you’re such a weirdo Luce, Star Lords from Earth so he might come back one day!”

 

She blinks, “you’re not serious, are you?”

 

“Of course not,” Natsu turns back to the stars still smiling, “I’m not that big of an idiot, but it would be cool if it really happened.”

 

“In that case I agree it would be cool,” dreamy sigh, “cause Chris Pratt is a fox.”

 

 _Gasp!_ “Is that so!” He turns and starts tickling Lucy’s sides, “is he cuter than your boyfriend?!”

 

“Stop it Natsu,” giggling, gasping for air, “you said Gamora was hot!”

 

“Yeah but I was playing around!” Increasing his tickle torture. “You sounded serious!”

 

“Please stop,” curling to a ball, her stomach hurts from all the laughing. “You’re cuter than Pratt!”

 

“Sexier than Star Lord?” _Tickle._ “Say I’m sexier than him.”

 

“Okay, Okay! Natsu you’re way sexier than Star Lord!”

 

“That’s what I thought,” pulling her into a kiss. “Can’t have my girlfriend taking off in some space ship, now can I.” Grin

 

“Nope you’re stuck we me,” Lucy kisses him back and giggles, “but now if Thor showed up…”

 

“What!”Natsu’s jaw drops, “Thor?But he’s only got one eye now.’

 

“Even so,” Lucy teases, “with a body like he’s got I could over look something minor like that.”

 

“Minor, _tch_ , wait why are we arguing over a fictional character?”

 

“I’m not the one being argumentative,” crossing her arms, “I think it’s funny how jealous you’re getting.”

 

“I’m not jealous, I just don’t plan on losing you to anyone, including some muscle-bound alien from fictional space.”

 

“You are too being silly over this…”

 

 _‘Tch I’ll show her silly…’_ “Please don’t leave me,” giving the best puppy dog pout and soulful eyes he can muster, reaching out to take hold of her hand, “I can be any super hero you want me to be…”

 

Lucy sighs, her eyes smiling at the cute affections that had won her over so long ago, “Natsu,” caressing his cheek, “you’re already my superhero.”

 

“Really!” His cheeky grin taking over his face, “I’m your strong, studly, handsome, amazing, talented, superhero boyfriend?!”

 

She chuckles, giving him a quick peck, “strong, handsome, goofy, comedic relief…”

 

“Comedic relief?”Shrugging his shoulders, “I’ll take that,” pulling the giggling girl back into an embrace, “so does that make you my damsel in distress, cause I’ll save you every time.”

 

Her eyes soften, “I’ll be your Mary Jane for as long as you’ll let me.”

 

“Hmm,” rolling Lucy onto her back, Natsu positions his body over hers.“Well,” kiss, “that’s gonna be a long,” kiss, “long,” kiss, “time m’lady…”

 

“Please don’t tell anyone,” Lucy kisses Natsu back, “that I called you my superhero.”

 

“Aww,” he pouts, “why not?”

 

“Because you goof, everyone’s gonna tease me.”

 

Natsu rolls onto his back and puts his arms behind his head, “I can’t guarantee it won’t slip out.”

 

“I’ll just totally deny it, tell everyone it’s all in your head.” Curling against his side and resting her head on his chest.“Isn’t it enough that you know, and I know, it’ll be like our little secret.”

 

“Okay,” putting an arm around her to pull her close, “I’ll make you a deal, if you agree to dress up as Gamora for Halloween I’ll keep it a secret.”

 

“ _Tch_ , no fair, then you need to dress up as Starlord.”

 

In a teasing tone poking at her side, “Starlord and not Thor?”

 

“Duh, the pairing is Gamora and Starlord, not Gamora and Thor.”

 

“Alright,” chuckling, “so is it a deal?”

 

 _Giggle_ , “It’s a deal.”

 

The young couple lays there under the stars for a few more minutes, listening to the sounds of the crickets below.Lucy closes her eyes, relaxing in the warmth of her boyfriend… till he breaks the silence.

 

“Can I at least tell Gray?”

 

Sing-songing.“Not if you want to see your dream girl in the flesh on Halloween…”

 

Natsu tilts Lucy’s face towards his, smiling sweetly, “my dream girl is already right next to me.”

 

“Oh geez,” rolling her eyes with a smile, “Why do you have to be so damn adorable!?”   “By the way…” Lucy smooths her hand under Natsu’s short tracing the lines of his chest on its way up, “I heard you talking in your sleep last night, sounded like a pretty exciting,” pinching his nipple, “was I in it?”

 

“Oww!” Rubbing the nipple, she pinched and grousing, “who else would be in my dreams?”

 

“Gamora,” rolling the other one between her fingers, “it would make sense for your alien question.”

 

“Are we back to playing the jealousy game over fiction?” Pulling her hand out from his shirt and kissing her fingers, “it was just you in the dream, I swear.”

 

“Oh,” Lucy’s hand pulls away and travels to his waist band, “then care to tell me about it, so we can…” running her finger along it’s edge, with a grin, “reenact it.”

 

Natsu turns to his side, gripping to Lucy’s hip, “someone is feeling frisky tonight,” pulling it flush to his pelvis, “the dream was simple really,” grinding lightly against her, “making love to my girl under the stars…that’s why I was thinking about space I guess.”

 

“Mmm,” groaning, rubbing at the growing strain in her boyfriend’s jeans.Lucy rolls him on top, caressing, trailing her nail along his cheek and jaw, voice wisping out like a gentle night breeze, “then take me to the stars Natsu…”

 

 _Grin_ , “good thing I locked the roof access door,” sitting up to undo his belt and shimmy out of his jeans.“Can’t deny a goddess her desires.”

 

Giggling, “How lucky am I,” grinning back, helping to remove his shirt but leaving his boxers on, “I get to wish on a _shooting_ star tonight.”

 

He slides her panties off, “Oh, I’ll have the heavens weeping for you,” unbuttoning her top and letting it lay open, taking a second to bask in the divine beauty beneath him.Licking his lips, "my very own starlight…”

 


	29. A Brush With Fate

Today was like any other day on the commuter, packed like sardines in a metal can.  She holds on to the strap hanger above her head as she talks to her friend on the train, leaning her head against her arm, they’ve got just a couple more stops to go before they’ll be out of this box.  _Sigh_ , “I didn’t do as well on my finals practice exam as I’d hoped to.”

“Lu, you got an 85%, that was the 3rd highest in class,” Levy her best friend whines, “I only got 70% and besides you’ve got another 5 weeks to study...”

With the next stop coming up, the people getting off start to slowly gather near the exits, pushing through the sea of bodies, jaunted slightly by the slowing of the train. 

Lucy’s back is brushed up against, nothing special in these commutes.  “With all the studying I did, I just thought I’d get a higher…” but images flicker in her mind and she pauses midsentence.  Like a video playing rapid fire, flashes of pink, a smiling face that she cannot recognize, the letter ‘N’, pieces of a puzzle that mean something and yet nothing to the young woman.  But as quickly as the feelings hit they fizzle away and she is left standing dazed and confused.

“Are you okay?”  When Lucy is able to focus again, her friend is waving a hand in her face, “you’re totally spazing out on me.”

“Huh?” she blinks, damn it, what was that about?  “Yeah,” turning on the fake smile, “I’ll be fine Levy.”

 “A-alright, well, so I was asking if you wanna check out the mall with me tomorrow?”

“Sure, Levy, I don’t have any plans…”

 

Safely in her apartment, Lucy flops onto her bed and stares up at the ceiling.  _‘Pink hair… a smile…’  Sigh_ , covering her eyes with her arm, it had been awhile since she’d had a premonition that strong so why in the middle of a train car?  _‘It must have been triggered by a person,’_ she surmises as most of her visions are triggered by touching a person or object, but unfortunately it happened so fast, and with that many people around, it was hard to discern anything.  _‘Oh well, nothing I can do about it now…’_

 

This was crunch time for the young college student, finals were in a week and all Lucy needed to concentrate on was studying.  She needed to maintain a certain GPA to keep her scholarship and there was no way she could afford to lose it.  So, focused on the internal monologue she was having, reciting chemical formulas that when the second flash of visions hit her, Lucy was jolted hard.  _‘Pink hair… a wide smile…  ‘N’…’_ her heart thundered in her chest, _‘why was it beating so rapidly?’_

“Yo, miss, are you okay?” the words barely registering with the blonde, “Hello?” a snapping sound, fingers maybe.  She blinks as the world comes back into focus, or is it, for the image her eyes are seeing is a fuzzy pink color.  _Pink?_   “Are you okay?”  Lucy nods slowly.  “That’s good, hey I’m sorry I bumped into ya’, kinda crowded in these cars.”

She looks around and realizes she’s sitting on a bench, hadn’t she been standing?  “I-It’s okay,” her voice still shaky, “I’m fine.”

“Okay,” the train is slowing down, “well, this is my stop,” he smiles wide, “take it easy now, you look kinda stressed,” he walks away with a wave.

That smile, the hair, Lucy slumps into the seat, was her premonition about this man?  The physical cues matched, but what did it mean and why did it feel like her heart was going to break through her chest?  That hadn’t happened the first time so was it just from shock or was there another meaning behind it?  _‘Ugh, I really hate this gift!  Why does it have to be so cryptic?!’  Exhale_ , as much as she wanted to solve the mystery, it would need to wait.

 

Two weeks later, there’s a knock at her bedroom door, “Lu, you better get up and get ready, we’re supposed to meet Cana for lunch remember?”

“Yeah, yeah,” the blonde mumbles at her roommate through the door.  School had ended a week ago and it was like her body just knew it was now summer break, so all week she hadn’t gotten up until lunch time.  Lucy loved her bf and roommate, but some days the girl’s early riser routine drove her crazy.  She grabs her phone to check the time, _‘10:00a, ugh,’_ burying her face back in the pillow, guess she really did need to drag herself out of bed…

 

“Hey!” Cana waves at Lucy and Levy from the café.

“Sorry we’re a little late, we missed the first train,” Lucy apologizes as the pair sits down.

“I was late too,” she shrugs her shoulders, “and I took the liberty of ordering for you guys.  So,” leaning on the table, “what’s new…”

The trio stayed at the café for a couple hours, catching up on current events, gossip, and such before walking around the plaza.  Levy and Lucy were attending the same college, but Cana had opted to go straight to working for her old man at their family bar as soon as she turned 18.  She was just a waitress until she turned 21 and could bartend but eventually he expected her to take over as manager. 

“He tells me to hurry up and learn the business, so he can retire and just sit there drinking with his buddies, that bastard, so I keep threatening to quit and leave him to suffer.”

“Speaking of bars,” Lucy chimes in, “next year we all turn 21…”

“Oh, I’ll be getting plastered for sure, and we can party at my bar!”

Levy, “I don’t know what I wanna do yet.”

Lucy, “me neither.”

“Guys!  It’s like a tradition to get wasted on your 21st birthday!”

“We’ve got time to decide,” Lucy laughs.

“So, Lu,” Cana steps in front of her blonde friend, “Leo was asking about you again.”

She rolls her eyes, “I’m not interested in that flirt.”

“But you need a boyfriend!”

“I don’t need…” the color pink catches in her periphery, Lucy’s head turns just as a group of guys passes a few feet away, her sepia orbs meeting emerald green.  Neither of them stops walking as they share a slow-motion glance of recognition; it was the guy from the train.  Levy grabs her arm as the same images flash through her mind again even stronger than before, and just as she’s about to faint.  _‘Pink hair…  A wide smile…  ‘N’…’_   An infectious laughter rings in her ears and the scent of something spicy envelops her.  The now familiar flutter in her chest, _‘But they hadn’t touched this time…’_                

“Lucy!”  She feels herself being shaken.  “Snap out of it!”

“Levy, what’s going on?” Lucy hears Cana asking and can see her friends talking but her mind is still flickering through all the stimulus.

“I don’t know, I mean it happened once about a month ago, but she didn’t faint like this.

“Hey, Lucy?” now it’s Cana shaking her, “wake the fuck up!”

Slowly the blonde comes to her senses, “Stop… shaking me.  I’m awake.”

“Well don’t fucking scare us like that!”  _Exhale_ , “What the hell happened?  Does it have to do with your premonitions, but I’ve never seen you end up so affected before.”

“C-could we not talk about this in the middle of a mall,” Lucy runs a hand over her face, “we can go back to our apartment and talk if you want.”

 

The three girls hail a taxi and return to Lucy and Levy’s apartment where Lucy consigns herself to the couch and Levy makes them all some tea.  Once settled with their drinks, the two other girls sit and listen intently to the blondes recounting of the 3 incidents.  She gives them all the details she can remember, but by the third one, the grin on Cana’s face is starting to grate on her nerves.

“This isn’t funny!” Lucy shrieks.  “I don’t know what I’m supposed to divine from this info!”

“Are you that daft woman, you are getting a premonition of your future husband!  You should be so lucky that it’s this easy for you to figure it out.”

“That’s not funny Cana.”

“I’m being serious.  The reason the sensations kept getting stronger is probably because you weren’t believing to them.”

“And do what?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe introduce yourself, get his name, phone number, jump him, drag him to your bed, whatever.”

“Cana!”

“Lu,” Levy cuts in to stop the escalation, “you told me before your premonitions have always turned out to be accurate, right?  Which means there’s no running away from this.”

Lucy exhales, hunching over with her face in her hands, “it’s not like I know who he is or how to find him.”

Cana, “I bet you’ll see him again, seems fate’s been making you run into each other.”

“Or, it’s just a coincidence.”

“Or, it’s destiny, Lu, just admit it to yourself.”

“Ugh!  Okay fine!” throwing her hands up in defeat.  “If I see him again, I’ll at least try to talk to him…”

 

The tingling sensation creeping along her spine and goosebumps erupting along her arms was the only warning she needed to know the pink haired man was nearby.  Lucy closes her eyes, of course, she curses out the gods, only a week had passed, and this was already happening, guess Cana was right about it escalating.  By the time she opens them, the dream man is standing next to her table with an air of uncertainty.  ‘ _No surprise there.’_   She gestures at the empty chair, “have a seat, did you wanna order anything, the waitress will be back soon.”

“Maybe later.” He takes a seat tentatively.  “Um, look,” running his hand through his hair as a nervous gesture, “I know we don’t know each other but it’s just…  I don’t know how to explain it but I’m trying to understand why I keep getting these weird vibes every time I run into you.  I-I mean,” gesturing like wiping the slate, “they don’t feel like bad vibes, just why am I getting them?  I remember feeling them one day on the train, but I ignored it, then the time you fainted I had them, and again when I saw you at the mall.”  Leaning forward with his head propped up, “even today, something drew me over to this café and bam, I look over and you’re sitting here.”

Lucy sits back, a little surprised that he was experiencing something.  It was clear he wasn’t getting premonitions like she did, yet somehow, he was feeling the pull as well.  ‘ _Well ain’t the spirits working overtime on this one.’_   She sits quietly as the waitress gives brings her order and Natsu foregoes anything for himself.  Once they are alone again, she smiles, “How about we start by introducing ourselves, my name is Lucy.” 

“Oh right,” he laughs, reclining back in the chair, and there’s that wide smile again, “duh where’s my manners, I’m Natsu.”

 _‘N, figures that’s what it meant.’_  She pulls a serious expression and looks him dead in the eyes, “Well, Natsu, it sounds like you are going crazy and those vibes are all in your head.”

“What?!” he shoots up in his seat, “I know I’m a little idiotic sometimes but I ain’t going crazy!  This is the first time I’ve ever had…”  The blonde starts laughing, unable to hold back at his outburst.  “Oh, so you think this is funny?!”

“S-Sorry,” trying to stifle her giggles, “I’m kidding, really okay, I believe you had these ‘weird vibes’ so calm down.” 

He slumps back in his seat, pouting like a child, “ _Tch_ , I don’t think it was funny.”

Rolling her eyes, “Oh geez, will you lighten up?  I’ll explain everything but first, answer this question, do you believe in things like destiny, string of fate, soulmates, anything like that?” 

“Mmm, I’ve heard of those things, but don’t know if I really believe it or not.”

“Then what would you say if I told you those _‘vibes’_ you’re feeling is fate trying to point you towards someone special.”

He sits back, “Are you trying to tell me that some mystical force is what…”  _‘Destiny, string of fate, soulmate…  Soulmate!’_   “… that you’re supposed to be what my future wife or something?”  Lucy just nods, watching the expressions on his face while his mind is trying to grasp what she’s telling him.  _‘And she said I was crazy!  This chick is the fruit cake!  Though, she seems normal enough… well except she did faint on me…’_  “How do you know for sure that’s what it means?”

“Because,” _exhale_ , “because I get premonitions.” He tips his head in confusion.  “Remember when I fainted?” he nods.  “That happened because I was getting flashes of images relating to you.” His eyes narrow still unbelieving.  “Okay, the first time you felt the weird vibes, it was in the train as well, right?” he nods again.  “What you probably didn’t see because maybe you were just walking by, is when you brushed up against me I had the same flashes hit me then too.  I fainted the day you saw me at the mall as well.”  _Sigh,_ “I hate having this gift, but this is the first time I’ve ever had it affect me so strongly.”  Looking down, “I wanted to deny it all, but my friends made me promise to talk to you if I saw you again.”

He stares at her for a bit, then leans back and crosses his arms, “as crazy as your story is, I feel like you’re telling me the truth.”

“Only a handful of people know about this side of me, I don’t like to talk about it because it’s so weird.”

“Well that makes sense.”

“I don’t always understand how it all works, and it’s frustrating when I can’t figure out what I’m being shown.  Come to think of it,” she reclines in her chair, “I didn’t faint this time.”  Thinking out loud, “does that mean something too,” rubbing her chin, Lucy laughs, “since I finally acknowledged you maybe fate decided I didn’t need a slap.”

“I take it back,” he grins, “you are a weirdo.”

“Ugh!  That wasn’t very nice!”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it, just that you are weird.”

Her eyes widen, “So, you don’t mind?”

“Well, it’s not like I’m gonna drop to my knee right now and propose just because the universe is telling me you’re the one.”  Lucy blushes at his insinuations.  “But would you like to go out on a date with me, just hang out sometime?”

“I think…  I’d really like that…”


	30. Behind The Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NaLu Week 2018 Day 6 Numb Prompt

Life was so unfair, to teach a young girl of only 17 such a cruel lesson had to mean the Gods, if they even existed, had abandoned her.  No, to her, there were no such things, any years of being dragged to church and force-fed the idea that some benevolent ‘deity’ was watching out for them was a complete load of crap.  She should have learned this at the tender age of 4 when her mother was taken by cancer, she should have realized it through the years as she watched her father drown his anger and sorrow in a bottle, and now any last threads of belief had frayed and broken when at barely 17 she was an orphan due to the poor health alcoholism had created.  

With no family to take her in, authorities had no choice but to place her into the foster care system.  Just great she wondered, at 17 she doubted any families would want to take in a teenager who’ll only be around for at most a couple more years when younger children were much easier to assimilate into their families.  Teen’s were thought to be more difficult to handle, already at a crazy point of life and throw in losing one’s family, it was safer to have end up at a pessimistic point of view.

So, as she sat in the cheap motel with her case worker, her only solace was in the thrum of music beating against her ear drums.  Two days had gone by since her father’s funeral, most of their possessions had been taken for auction to pay off his debts but at least she was allowed to keep many of her personal stuff like the iPod attached to her ears at the moment.  The case worker, a sweet woman named Mirajane Strauss had helped her to pack up all the photos and keepsakes, clothing and personal effects from her bedroom, well as much as they could fit into the woman’s SUV. 

“I’m sorry you had to be in this motel for a couple of days Lucy, but I have found you a permanent home right here in Magnolia.  You’ll even be able to go to your old high school, isn’t that great?”

Lucy sits back with a perplexed look.  This lady had found a place for her so quickly and close enough that she gets to stay at her high school?  She had wondered if she’d ever get to see her friends again, so this was great news on the surface.  Her eyes narrow, there had to be a catch, maybe some weird couple, secret cult members, abusive household, all the negative scenarios pop in her head.  “And where is this place?”

“Well, I guess you could call it a boarding house for teens.  We at the agency know that teenagers are the hardest to place in homes but many years ago, an organization was created by a woman named Mavis Vermillion to address that very concern.  She has since passed away, but the current director Makarov Dreyar has done wonders in continuing her mission.”

“There must be some kind of catch, right?  What is he, a perverted old man?  Is it really strict?”

Mirajane laughs, “Put it this way, the kids don’t want to leave even after they turn 18.”

“That’s hard to believe,” Lucy rolls her eyes, even normal teens want out of the house once they’re adults.  “And what are the kids there like, delinquents?” 

“There are some with troubled backgrounds, but for the most part they are decent kids and they’re all around your age.  When my siblings and I ended up there after our parents died, I was afraid too, but it didn’t take me long to settle in.”  Laughing again, “I guess I loved it so much it’s why I became a social services worker specializing in the teen placements, just so I have an excuse to visit it.”

“Wait, you were an orphan too?”

“Yes, my parents died in a bad car accident.  I’m the oldest and my sister and brother are twins.  We were all sent to live there when none of our family members could take all of us.”  Patting Lucy on the shoulder, “does that make you feel a little better?  I promise it won’t be such a bad place.”

“I guess,” Lucy mumbles.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine.  Come, it’s time to check out now, we’ll grab lunch and then I’ll be taking you to Fairytail.”

“Fairytail?  That’s a weird name.”

“Mavis loved fairies, something about no one knows if they have tails.”  Waving her hand, “anyways, if you’re curious Makarov could explain it better than me.”

 

Surprised was a bit of an understatement as Lucy gawked while the car crept through the gate and up the long drive way.  It was a house she recognized as one of the biggest in Magnolia, but Lucy had always assumed some rich family lived in it not a bunch of teenage orphans.  As if reading through the young girl’s thoughts, Mirajane smiled.  “They bought it at auction and after some renovations created 20 dorms that if necessary can hold two per room.  Right now, there are 14 counting you so you’ll have your own room.  It is co-ed but security measures are in place to curb anyone trying to sneak around the fraternizing rules.”  Stopping the SUV in front of the stairs, “Makarov will be going over all of that with you.”  And at that name a short, very old man followed by a large, overly muscular young guy appeared at the passenger door.  “That’s him,” Mirajane smiles, “time to get out.”

“Welcome, welcome young Lucy, my name is Makarov.”

“N-nice to meet you.”

“If you’ll follow me to my office, I’ll go over everything with you while Mira and Laxus, my grandson, takes your belongings to your new room.”  Lucy just nods, giving Mira a nervous smile before following the old man into the house.

“Whoa…”  Though the outside looked like any other grand colonial mansion, inside was much more modern than she’d expected.  As she stared wide-eyed trailing behind him, Makarov explained each room they passed through, but she couldn’t help but notice a couple of the male residents watching her like some kind of fresh meat they could devour.

“The first floor as you see is where the living spaces are, rec room, game room.  We have a small library with some books, but it’s mostly used as a quiet study space with computers for the kids to use.  Of course, a dining area and kitchen, office or staff rooms, and we have a live-in nurse practitioner in case of emergencies.”  When he reaches his office, Lucy is lead to a chair opposite a desk where Makarov takes a seat. 

“I’m not going to bore you with our history but if you’d like to know about us later I’ll tell you.  For now, let me start off by welcoming you to our little family.  Here at Fairytail, I treat each youngster as if they were my flesh and blood grandchild, so if you hear people referring to me as Gramps, that would be why.”  Steepling his fingers, “Everyone here including yourself comes from a family where both parents were lost and had no family to turn to.  They come from all over Fiore since we are known to only take such cases...”

Lucy fidgets with her fingers in her lap, _‘so everyone here is like me.’_   It was a little comforting to know considering she’d feared this would be a place, maybe of last resort for troubled kids, not that she was one of those, but still…

“… because those are kids that need a lot of love.”  She looks up deadpanned to see an old man with a few tears swimming in his eyes staring back at her.  “I am the 3rd director to take over this place but I too lost both of my parents at a young age.”  He chuckles at her shocked appearance.  “Yes, Ms. Heartfilia, you are not alone I assure you.”  Sitting back in his chair, “moving along, so I assume Mira’s already told you this is a co-ed place?”  Lucy nods.  “Good, residents are allowed to frequent each other’s rooms, but doors must be kept open whenever you are not alone in that room,” leaning forward to whisper, “we’d like to avoid hanky-panky from going on.”

She blushes at the insinuation but couldn’t begrudge such a rule when dealing with hormonal teenagers. 

“We have 24/7 staff so there is always someone monitoring what is going on, but for the most part, you’all are free to come and go as you please during non-school hours.  Curfew unless you choose to have a part time job or there is a school function, and those must be approved of by me, is 10pm no matter what.  You will be required to attend public school, and from what I gather from your report, you are already a student at the one we send our kids to.  I bet you’ll recognize a few familiar faces. 

The kitchen prepares breakfast and dinner on school days, lunch as well on weekends, oh and they keep lots of snacks around.  For personal necessities, you must secure those from the supply room which is monitored by a staff member.  A few of the kids go and find part time jobs so they can buy other things above the necessities we provide or for spending money.  We do our best to make sure everyone is comfortable, but we must be equal in how we treat everyone and stay within our budget.

Now pretty much all the kids here get along with each other, there is bickering but so far, any major fights are either squashed quickly or never get worse than a word battle.  Those with more psychological needs are given counseling sessions once a week…”

“Are there many here in need of that?”

“Well,” tapping his chin, “when the kids first come almost everyone one of them needs counseling.  Considering that they’ve just lost family members, it is a traumatic experience that we help them get through and most are out of counseling within a month or two.  But yes, to answer your question, there is one young man that came here a year ago that has still not broken through his shock no matter what we’ve tried.  He’ll talk to one other boy here but mainly stays in his room.”

“That… is kinda sad.”

A knock at the door pauses their conversation and in pops a mousy blue-headed girl, “Gramps, they said you wanted to talk to me?”

“Oh yes Levy, I’d like you to take Lucy here on a better tour and show her, her bedroom.”

“Sure!” Levy walks up to Lucy, “Hi, I’m Levy, I think I’ve seen you around the library at school!”

“Lucy,” shaking the girl’s hand, “yeah, you do look familiar.”

“Ms. Heartfilia, if you have any other questions please feel free to ask me.  Levy here will take good care of you, she’s been here a couple of years, so she’s got the lay of the land down.”

“Thanks, um, Gramps.”  He smiles and waves as the two girls exit.

Levy leads Lucy to the rec room where most of the other kids seem to be congregated.  There are a couple of TV’s, game systems, a pool and ping pong table, board games, tables and couches; it was like being at a college dorm. 

“Hey everybody!” Levy shouts as soon as they walk in.  “We got a newcomer to welcome!”  The whole room pauses what they are doing to look up as she prompts the shy blonde forward, “This is Lucy.”

“Hi Lucy!”  Everyone in the room comes up and starts introducing themselves, lots of hugs or handshakes, questions flying around but none regarding the circumstances that brought her there.  How old are you, what are your hobbies, got a crush on anyone, standard issue teenage curiosities, but ones Lucy didn’t mind answering; it was just as Makarov had assumed, she did know most of the kids.  After about 30 minutes they says their goodbye’s for now and Levy takes Lucy to the 2nd floor.

“This is my room,” Levy points hers out as they pass by, “in case you wanna talk or something.  You mentioned you like reading, and I love reading so maybe we can talk about stuff later.”

“That would be nice.”

“Well, here we are,” opening a door, “this is your room.  Pretty standard issue now, but you can set it up how you want.” 

As Lucy walks in with Levy behind her, she notices all her boxes and suitcases sitting in the middle of the room.  A twin sized bed sat against a wall, a dresser, a small desk and chair with a lamp, a small bookshelf, and a closet full of hangers.  Curtains filtered the light coming in from a single window and while the room was smaller than she was used to, maybe the homelier feel was what she needed right now. 

“Would you like help unpacking?  We can talk while we do it.”

“That would be great, thank you Levy.”

They set about the task of moving boxes to different areas of the room based on how the box was tagged, clothing near the dresser and closet, so on and so forth.  Opening them up and setting the contents up while making small talk about school or the others in the house and their quirks.  Levy was quite observant and filled her in about the day to day, common occurrences in this new home. 

It didn’t take long for the two girls to set up all of Lucy’s belongings, so with the last box unpacked they sat on the bed to take a breather.  “So, Lucy…  I didn’t wanna bring it up around the others but, I had heard your dad passed away, would you like to talk about it?”

“Honestly, it made me sad cause he was the last parent I had, but at the same time I…  we hadn’t had a good relationship for years.  After my mom died he turned to drinking and stayed at the office most of the time so I barely saw him and the older I got, the less we got along.”

“Wow, I’m sorry, that sounds really crappy.”

 _Exhale_ , “I miss my mom more than anything, even though I barely remember her, what I do, are all happy memories.”

Levy stands up and hugs her new friend, “At least you have that much Lucy, if you focus on those memories, they’ll help get you through this.  But you know,” releasing her and sitting on the bed, “crying is okay too.”

“Thanks Levy, I really appreciate it.  You know, I had no idea so many of the kids at school were in the same circumstances… but then again, I guess it’s not something one wants to talk about.” Chuckling, “I guess I also know why some kids hang out with each other, seems like everyone here kind of bands together even at school.”

Levy laughs, “I never really thought about it but you’re right…  Well except one of us.”

“Oh, Gramps did mention there’s a boy here that pretty much stays to himself.”

“That’d be Natsu,” _sigh_ , “growing up he was such a friendly, outgoing, real goof ball but after his parents died he just changed.  I mean he doesn’t lash out in anger, except when he fights with Gray, but, hmm,” tapping her chin, “what’s the right way to describe him…  Maybe a zombie.”

“A zombie?!” the Walking Dead popping into her mind.

“Well, it’s like he’s here but not here, all spaced out or emotionless.  I think losing his dad was what made him crack, they were really close according to Gray.”

“And so, no one’s been able to, I don’t know, reach him and pull him out of his funk?”

Levy shakes her head.  “Gray was his best friend even before it all happened, so I think that’s why he’s the only one that can get Natsu to talk, practically has to drag him around just to get him to school.  But when it comes to talking about what happened, Gray doesn’t have the wherewithal to do it.”

“He wasn’t downstairs right, I didn’t see anyone quiet.”

“No, he’s probably in his room.  Usually he only leaves it when he needs to, like at meal time,” turning to Lucy, “I’m sure you’ve seen him before on campus with Gray, pink hair, he’s the only one with that color.”

“Oh, yeah I do remember seeing him!  Thought he was cute but really, really quiet.”

“By the way, he’s in the room,” pointing at the wall, “next to yours…”

 

It had been about a month since Lucy had arrived at Fairytail and on the outside things seemed perfect.  She had been so worried that whatever home she’d be stuck in would be a miserable experience that the friendly and inviting atmosphere was like a weight being lifted off her shoulders.  It was one thing at least.  Her and Levy had become instant friends, and the more they talked, the more things in common they had discovered about each other, but everyone in the house was easy to get along with.  The only irritating thing was a couple of the guys trying to flirt with her, but other than that, Lucy was happy with the dice she had been cast.

The counselling was a big help as well, allowing her to open-up and process some of the emotions she’d been holding back.  Lucy had never realized how much her mother’s passing had affected her all these years until she had been forced to deal with them.  But it was a double-edged sword to open-up such deeply held old wounds and many nights after the sessions she’d end up crying herself to sleep.       

So, maybe it was to distract herself from her own mental torments that she had decided, well unconsciously, to try and reach the one person in this house that was hurting more than she was.  Lucy watched him at meal times from the corner of eye, silently eat while Gray and the others chatted around him.  She watched him in passing at school, he really was like the walking dead going from class to class, hiding away in the library during breaks.  It was almost difficult to envision the former Natsu Levy had described and reconcile it to the current zombiefied one.

She had learned from Gray, that not only had he lost his parents their freshman year, but his cat as well to a house fire.  They had been rendered unconscious by the carbon-monoxide, not feeling any pain when the flames consumed the home around them, but it was of little consolation.  Natsu had been at an out-of-town basketball game and his older brother was already away at college when it happened.  Survivors guilt, she was told is what he might be suffering.  If anything, now she knew not to bring up certain topics around him. 

The next question was what to do.  It’s not like Lucy was a trained psychologist, and frankly even the professionals were not making any headway.  So, really what could a 17-year-old girl do that they hadn’t tried? 

It started with a smile.           

 

“Natsu,” Gray prods his best friend in the inky blackness of his bedroom, “would it kill you to have some light in here?”

“I like the dark.”

“Dude, it’s been a year, how long are you gonna keep mourning?”

He turns over on his bed, “I’m not in the mood Gray…”

“Fine, change of topic then, have you noticed the new girl?”

“What about her?”

“Is that all you can say?  Don’t you remember her from school?”

“I do, so what?”

“So, What!?  Man you had a crush on her since Freshman orientation, that’s what.  If it wasn’t for…”

“Don’t say it!”

“Ugh, think about it, what’s the odds that she’d end up living here, in the room right fucking next to you!”

“Damn it Gray, I’m so not in the mood to give a shit about a girl right now!”

“Oh, please,” punching his friends shoulder, “I saw that eye twitch of yours when Sting was trying to flirt with her, so you can’t tell me you don’t give a shit.  Hell, it was the most emotion I’d seen out of you in a fucking year!”

Rising to a sitting position, “Get out of my room Gray!”

“Fine it’s time for bed anyways,” walking to the door, pausing just before closing it behind him, “keep wallowing in your self-pity and see where it gets you.”

 _‘Tch, fuck him,’_ Natsu lays on his back with his arms behind his head.  _‘I’ll talk when I feel like it and that ain’t right now.’_

The counselor keeps telling him the fire wasn’t his fault, and that was true, he hadn’t started it with his own hands, but it had been electrical, caused by his stupid game system that he’d left plugged in.  Course how could he have known that the wires were faulty?  It didn’t matter, it was in his room so that made him guilty, at least in his head.  And what if he’d been home instead of that overnighter to Crocus for a game.  If he’d been there, he could have woken up and done something, put it out before it could spread, got his family out before they became trapped.  He also could have ended up a victim, said the counselor.  _‘Tch, then I wouldn’t be around to feel guilty anymore!’_   But think about all your friends that would be sad if you were gone, your brother would be left completely alone.  _‘What does it all matter if I feel dead too?’_   Natsu closes his eyes, letting the silence of the pitch-black room wallow him up. 

 _Light sobbing_.  He opens his eye’s; those sounds were not coming from him.  _Light sobbing_.  Placing his ear against the wall, the one shared with the girl next door.  He could hear her crying softly, muffled as if her face was mashed against a pillow.  It was Wednesday night, he knew it was the night of her weekly sessions, and it was every Wednesday he’d hear her subtle whimpers through the walls… 

 

 _‘Was he just looking at me?’_  Lucy could see from her peripherals that a certain boy was glancing in her direction, but she knew if she were to look he would simply turn away.  So, she smiled hoping that the small gesture would communicate the appreciation of his attention, however small it may be.    

 _‘Did she just smile?’_   Natsu turned his head away, he had seen her eyes looking in his direction even though her head faced forward.  _‘Why would she smile at him?’_   He chances a quick glance at Lucy and sees a slight blush on her cheeks, faint but definitely visible.  Not that he wanted to admit it, but she was still as cute as the day he first saw her.   

 

A couple days later he awoke to find a small note slipped under his bedroom door.  _‘Hi.’_   Turning it over in his hand, it was just one word.  _‘So weird.’_   Was this from her?  Later at breakfast it was as if she was avoiding any eye contact, making sure to face away from him.  _‘Very weird.’_  Considering for the past week she’d always sat facing his direction, even if she never looked directly at him.  What was this girl playing at?

On the bus, Natsu forced himself to look at Lucy when he walked past her.  By the uncomfortable aura surrounding him, she could tell it was forced but he’d done it, and the look he gave her was odd to say the least.  Not anger or frustration, maybe confusion?  _But he’d done it_ and everyone on the bus started whispering like mad as he took a seat at the back with Gray.  Clearly the mere fact he’d looked at anyone was a shock to them all.

 

As Gray and Natsu walk to their first period class.  “What just happened on the bus?” 

“What are you talking about?”

“Natsu, you looked at Lucy.”

“So?”

“Cut the bullshit, what triggered that?”

Natsu shrugs his shoulders, “I think she left a note under my door this morning.”

“You think?”

“Well it wasn’t signed, just said one word.”

“And…”

“And what?”

“What the hell was the word?!”

“Hi.”

“Hi?”

“Hi.”

“Fuck, you are both weird…”

 

“What did you do to Natsu?” Levy whispers to her friend in the library that afternoon, “Lu, Natsu hasn’t showed any interest in anyone before.”

“All I did was smile at him one day, oh and left an unsigned note under his door this morning.  Why, is it really that big a deal?”

“Hell yes it is!  No one’s been able to get him to show any emotion and in the span of a couple of days you get him to look at you!  What was on that note?”

“Hi.”

“Just hi?”

“Just hi…”

 

Wednesday.  10pm rolled around as Natsu lay with his eyes staring at the black ceiling.  He knew it was only a matter of time for the sobbing to begin and there was no way he could go to sleep.  His mind processed a new situation for the first time since coming to this house, two simple acts from a girl who was clearly still in a lot of pain, yet she smiled.  Two simple gestures, both so innocent and subtle that plagued him.  How could she plaster that smile on, then cry herself to sleep?  Why does she hide her pain beneath a pearly veneer?  Lucy’s pain was much fresher than his, and yet she carried on day to day.  He watched her more than she had realized.

 _Light sobbing_.  It had become clockwork.  _Light sobbing_.  Natsu turned on his side, staring at his door.  For the first time in a year, the pain he was feeling was not his own.

Quietly, he rose from his bed and made his way over to his neighbor’s door.  Quietly, he entered, hearing her cries stop and through the dim lighting of the hallway saw her turn to look his way.  After closing the door halfway to block some of the dim hallway lighting, he said nothing as he crossed the room.  She stilled when he reached her bedside and crawled in behind her over the covers.

“Natsu?” her voice barely a whisper

“Sleep,” the only word he spoke as one hand stroked her hair and the other wrapped around her waist.  First inclinations were to kick this strange boy out of her room, but as he continued gently stroking her hair, his mild warmth caused her lids to slide closed.  It would be a lie to say his presence wasn’t soothing and before she knew it, she was asleep.

Once her breathing had evened out, he took one last look at her face before retreating to his own room.  Who knew it would have felt so natural to hold her like that? 

 

Lucy was too embarrassed to tell anyone, even Levy what had happened and since Natsu hadn’t said or done anything to acknowledge it either, she figured it was a one-shot deal.  He was her neighbor and all, maybe he had gotten tired of listening to her cry herself to sleep.  Still, she smiled to herself, it was a nice gesture.  Who would have known he could be so sweet? 

 

He found another note, this time in his locker at school.  _‘Thank you.’_   Two words this time, he folded the note and shoved it into his pocket before anyone could notice.  Natsu had convinced himself all morning that he’d only done it to stop her crying, so he could get to sleep.  It didn’t mean anything, but the thank you note was nice, he had to admit. 

 

And that had been the beginning of a new routine.  Simple notes on random days slipped under his door or into his locker.  A Wednesday night soothing ritual to help her fall asleep.  For several months this carried on in secret, neither saying a peep to their best friends.  It was only shared between them and only in these moments for any other time of the day, no other interactions followed because they didn’t want anyone else to know.  Truthfully, Lucy found it weird at first, but it seemed to be helping Natsu come out of his shell in a small way and she was able to fall asleep without crying.  Levy would comment that he seemed different but couldn’t figure out why and she would just shrug her shoulders.  Lucy assumed Gray was having similar conversations with Natsu, but she dared not ask.

With each Wednesday night that occurred, Natsu was changing.  Once she’d fall asleep his stays grew longer as he watched her, stroked her hair, even resting his head against hers.  For him, her scent became a soothing antidote that drove away his restless thoughts.  Her peace became his peace, and when it was time to go back to his own room, his dreams were no longer the nightmares that had plagued him since the fire. 

 

 

The weather that Saturday was miserably wet and stormy so most of the teens stayed home, milling around in the rec area or hanging out with friends in bedrooms.  Come lunch time, Lucy, Levy and a couple other girls were eating in the dining area discussing a new movie coming out when Sting, bored and frustrated at her turn downs decided to try again with a more aggressive approach. 

Surprising her from behind, Sting grabs and starts to pull Lucy from her seat.  “I wanna talk to you in private, right now.”

“No!” trying to tug out of his grasp, “let me go, I told you I don’t wanna go out with you so stop bothering me.”

In a flash, his hand is wrenched off Lucy’s arm, a hard shove and suddenly, he finds himself on his ass and Lucy in the arms of another guy.  The room went pin-drop silent and even Lucy had been surprised, but without dwelling on it, and content with her rescuer, buries her face against Natsu’s chest, clutching at his shirt.

“She told you to stop bothering her Sting, so back off!”  The growl in Natsu’s tone was laced with such anger and irritation that most people would instantly back off, but not the fool on the floor.

Sting jumps to his feet and makes a grab for Lucy again, “fuck off Dragneel, this has nothing to do with you!”

But Natsu turns his body to shield Lucy, slaps Stings hand away and pushes him back to the ground.  “Last warning Eucliffe, leave Lucy alone!”

“Oi!” at that moment Laxus walks in and grabs Sting, hauling him off the ground.  “Putting your hands on anyone like how you grabbed Lucy will get you kicked outta here!”

“What the fuck!  Dragneel hit me, why aren’t you taking him too?!”

“Because he was just protecting her from You!”  Pulling Sting out of the room, “you better pray Makarov just gives you a punishment and doesn’t send you back into the system.”

Once Sting and Laxus are gone, the damn breaks and Lucy begins to sob against Natsu, fisting his shirt tighter.  She couldn’t believe that Sting had really tried to grab her like that, what made him think it would be okay? 

“Shhh,” Natsu caresses her head, “he’s gone, you don’t need to worry about him anymore.”

“I never…” her voice cracking, “lead him on, I swear.”

Leaning his head against hers, “I believe you Luce.  Sting’s always been a cocky bastard but even I’m shocked that he grabbed you like that.” 

“Um, excuse me you two?”  Both Natsu and Lucy look over towards Levy and Gray, but quickly realize everyone in the room was staring at them.  “Care to explain?”

Lucy looks up at Natsu with a concerned expression, but he shakes his head, so she turns back to their best friends.  “Not here.”

 

“You guys are dating??” Gray shouts at the couple sitting before him on Natsu’s bed while Levy nods, agreeing with the interrogation.  “Well that explains why you’ve been acting a little differently but why the hell did you guys keep it a secret from us?” 

“We’re supposed to be your best friends here, don’t you trust us?”

“It’s not that we didn’t trust you, it’s just,” Lucy looks at Natsu who just squeezes her hand and turns away giving her an unspoken permission to tell them whatever she felt comfortable with, “we kinda liked it being a secret between the two of us.”

“So, are you gonna tell us now how it started?”

“The notes,” is all Natsu responded with but when Gray opened his mouth to question further Lucy stepped in.

“He heard me crying myself to sleep on Wednesday’s, you know, after my counselling sessions and started coming to my room to help me fall asleep.”  Levy’s eyes widen at the idea of them together after hours.  Waving her arms, “I swear nothing sexual happened!  He would just hold me until I fell asleep.  It really helped me to calm down.”

“And what about you,” Levy turns to Natsu, “it’s obviously affecting you as well?”

He shrugs his shoulders, “I get less nightmares after spending time with her, she brings me a lot of peace.”

“That’s,” Gray slaps his friends shoulder, “awesome!  Fuck, nothing was helping you for so long and shit if cuddling with Lucy is helping you get past the fire it’s a good thing in my book.”

“We were worried that Gramps guys would have a problem with it too,” Lucy’s voice lowers, “Natsu leaves the door open like he’s supposed to when he comes in but it still kinda looks like it’s breaking the rules.”

Levy, “Maybe if you talk to them about it, I mean, if it’s helping you guys get over what happened to you, they might see it as a good thing.  Besides, you guys turn 18 in like 4 months, so after that you can do what you want.”

“We’ll have to leave at that point, which is doable since my trust kicks in on my 18 birthday…”

“You have a trust fund set up?”

“Yeah, luckily that was something the foreclosures and stuff couldn’t touch.”

“Luce,” Natsu turns to her, “I wouldn’t feel right living off you like that.”

“So, don’t,” she caresses his cheek, “we both got into the local university with scholarships, you can get a part time job, I plan to as well, but at least our housing will be taken care of.  In fact,” turning back to their two friends, “if we all go to the same college, I could just rent one house that we could all live in,” smiling, “I’ve been so happy living together with all of you that I’d hate for it to end just because we have to move out of here.”

“Are you for real?” Gray and Levy both shout at the same time.

Lucy blushes, “Yeah, I’m for real.  So, what do you guys think?”

Levy smiles, “I’d love to stay together with you guys.”

Gray, “and this idiot still needs me so I’m in.”

“Well Natsu?” Lucy squeezes his hand, “what do you say?”

Natsu, “I’m not leaving your side anytime soon.”

Levy, “Then it’s settled!  Now I am going to go start the application for that university.  Gray,” dragging him with her out the door, “you too.  Let’s give them some privacy.”

The young couple settles on Natsu’s bed with shared headphones to relax away the rest of the afternoon.  Even though they enjoyed their anonymity, it had been like a small weight lifted off their shoulders for their secret to be revealed, and at least now they didn’t have to hide. 

30 minutes later there is a knock at the door and when Lucy looks up, Gramps and Mira are standing in the doorway.  She and Natsu sit up as the pair walk over to them, Gramps pulling up the desk chair and Mira sitting at the edge of the bed.  It was nerve wracking even though they were smiling, to say the least.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to scold you,” the old man starts off.  “First off,” looking directly at Lucy, “the situation with Sting.  The other residents already confirmed that he grabbed you and that Natsu was just defending you so don’t worry, neither of you did anything wrong.  What I’d like to ask, is what kind of punishment you think he deserves?  Normally he would be removed from the house but because you all are so close to reaching the adult age, it would make sense to let him to just stick it out until that time, but only if you would be okay with it, Lucy.  I would never want to put you in the position where you’d feel uncomfortable.  We’ve spoken with him and he has admitted his wrongful action, agreeing to stay away from you from now on, and frankly I don’t think he would be foolish enough to try anything now.”

Lucy flinches, scooting closer to Natsu who starts rubbing circles on her back to soothe her.  “I guess it would be okay, As long as he doesn’t talk to me or bother me anymore.”

“Laxus will be keeping an eye on him as well, but if he ever tries anything, you let us know immediately.”  She nods.  “Very good, now for the second reason we are here,” looking at Natsu.  “Right after the incident, I came by to check on you but when I heard you all talking with Levy and Gray I hung back, so yes I heard the part about your nightly activities.  When Mira arrived, I discussed it with her and while it is frowned upon, as long as the door is left open, so the security can easily do their checks, we will allow it to continue.” 

Mira’s smile brightens, “You two have been able to support and help each other through a very trying time, one that frankly Natsu we were worried you’d never get past, so how could we not support it.  And I’m glad that you were sensible in how you’ve behaved up till now, because that makes us confident that we can trust you to behave.” 

Gramps, “When the time comes to move out, please don’t feel forced.  Remember just because you turn 18 doesn’t mean we will kick you out immediately.  But we will help you in any way that we can to get set up when you do leave, like finding a house for you to rent, so don’t ever feel like you are alone, is that clear you kids?”

“Yeah,” Lucy smiles and so does Natsu. 

“Good, and with that we take our leave.”

Lucy lays on her back with a big exhale and giggles, “Wow I’m so happy right now!”

Natsu follows suit, lying down too with his arms behind his head, “I was expecting to get into trouble.”

“I know…” turning on her side and resting her head against his chest.  “So, does that mean you’ll stay the whole night now?”

“If you don’t mind,” kissing her forehead, then leaning his head against it, “I sleep much better when I’m next to you, something about your scent is very calming to me.”

She sighs, “I’m glad I could help you feel better, what you went through, it could really break a person, but you know I think your parents would be happy to know you’re moving on,” lazily rubbing his chest, “and I’m sure they are proud of what you’ve become.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re my hero for starters.  You’ll be a college man soon.  You’ve got great friends around you.  Yeah,” another sigh, “I think both our parents are proud of us.”

“You know what,” cuddling her close, “for the first time since the fire…  I can agree with that.  But it’s all thanks to you Luce.”

“Me?”

“You got me out of my funk, you made me realize that I still have a lot to live for.”  Brushing her bangs away so he can see her eyes better.  “Losing my dad was the hardest part because we were so close,” tears well up in his eyes, “I really didn’t think I could get over that loss.  But thanks to you, I know I will.”

Lucy leans over and cradles his cheeks with a kiss, “then here is to our bright new future…”


	31. Black With Two Sugars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 Squalor prompt. This one was kinda rushed to be ready for NaLu week 2018, one day if I have the time I may edit it and give more details to build up on the relationship.

“Is there a reason you come to this place?”  Gray asks his friend after they take a seat in a booth.  “Do they have better coffee or something?”

“Black with two sugars, right?” a pretty blonde waitress walks up and puts a cup in front of Natsu before turning to the other male, “and sir what would you like to order?”

Caught off guard, “Oh, um,” squinting at the menu, “just give me an iced mocha.”

“Coming right up,” she smiles before heading back to the bar.

“Now do you see why I come here?” Natsu smirks, “it ain’t for the coffee.”

“Damn,” Gray sits back and crosses his arms, “how often do you come here, I mean we just sat down and she was already walking over with your drink?”

“Almost every day for about a month now,” relaxing and sipping his coffee, “and I come around this time because it’s the slowest point of her shift.”

Lucy walks back up and hands Gray his cup.  “Anything else I can get you two?”

“Not right now,” Natsu smiles at her and holds up his drink, “perfect as ever Lucy.”

She blushes, “thank you.  Well if you need anything just flag me down.”  Natsu and Gray nod and she walks away.

“You ask her out yet?”  Gray probes his friend.

“Nah, she’s kinda shy, wouldn’t wanna scare her off,” chuckling as he takes a sip of his drink while his eyes wander over to the front counter, “but I’m working up to it…”

 

 

Natsu yanks off his tie and tosses his suit jacket onto the passenger seat of his BMW, unfastening the top two buttons as well.  He was thoroughly suited for his job as a broker in terms of personality, but he hated having to wear such confining ‘professional’ attire.  At Dreyar & Dreyar, he was one of the top brokers and he did so well he practically came and go as he pleased, for as long as he made them all money, the boss didn’t care.  Money was what he had to spare, yet he didn’t spend frivolously like others, sure he had a nice car and a very comfortable home, but he put even more away for a rainy day.

Up till now, Natsu had been happy, tons of friends, a great place to work at, a few girlfriends over the years but nothing serious, parties, vacations, he was living a dream, until he met _her_ and suddenly all those things didn’t seem so satisfying anymore.  It was really a fluke that he had stumbled onto the coffee shop while on his way to visit a client in the area.  There was just something about the blonde that intrigued him, not just her fetching appearance, but the sweet and adorably shy personality.  He had to stifle a chuckle when she blushed the entire time she was making his order, even came back later, coaxed and paid off one of her co-workers to give him her schedule.

Each day he would go to the little corner shop, set himself up in a booth, biding his time with a newspaper and waited until the other customers were gone before striking up a conversation with the blonde.  Slowly but surely, she began to open-up, relaxing instead of looking at him through weary eyes, even smiling the moment he walked in the door, personal questions were still untouched but at least Lucy appeared to enjoy his company.  It was two weeks into this quasi courtship that he finally got her to laugh wholeheartedly and that was when he decided she really could be the someone special he had been lacking in his life.

 

 

Time passed by, months of conversations over coffee or tea and while she learned things about him, she herself was still a mystery, never revealing much about her life that couldn’t otherwise be figured out by a glance.  Too bad for Lucy, Natsu could be one stubborn and persistent guy when he saw something he wanted.      

“Do you have plans for dinner?” Natsu leans forward, propping his head up with his hand.  “You get off in an hour, right?”

“Why do you keep asking?” Lucy drops her gaze to the fidgeting fingers in her lap. 

“Because I enjoy your company,” smiling, “and I would love to learn more about you Lucy.”

She was torn between the idea that someone like Natsu, a man who was well out of her league might genuinely be interested in her and yet worried that if he learned of her background, would quickly disappear out of her life again.  That fear had kept her from letting herself fall, for surely, he was just being friendly and couldn’t be interested in a working-class girl.  She knew guys like this in her past life and it scared her that he was simply toying with her.  But here he was again, asking her out to dinner.

“Natsu, why are you so interested in me going to dinner with you?” a blush stealing away on her cheeks, “it’s nice to talk to you during my down times here but someone with your status, must have more interesting people to hang out with.”

He chuckles, “my status?  What does that even mean?” Face growing serious, “Fine, do you want to know the real reason?”  Lucy nods.  “Call it a school boy crush on the pretty blonde waitress,” winking, “please Lucy, just a simple dinner date, I promise I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”

The blush darkens on her face, “N-nothing fancy right?  Just some where to eat?”

“Just somewhere to eat.”

 _Sigh_ , “alright you win, Natsu, I’ll go…”

 

Natsu pulls into a stall and cuts the engine.  “There’s some nice little places along the boardwalk, nothing fancy,” glancing at the nervous woman in the passenger seat, “I promise, just decent eats,” then proceeds to help her out of the car.

 

As they sit quietly eating their meal and making light conversation, Lucy couldn’t help but rewind back to the earlier comment he made at the coffee shop.  This was the first time they were hanging out away from her workplace, where responsibilities and customers always hung over them, but here she had no easy means of squirming out of his questions, though at least he was very respectful not to pry.  The truth is, she wanted to open up to this handsome man who’s taken such an interest in her, and yet the nagging doubts about her circumstances always roadblocked her.  Lucy squirms a little in her seat. 

“Are you okay,” he asks with genuine concern.  It was clear to Natsu, that while she didn’t seem opposed to the idea of this dinner, there was clearly things on her mind. 

“D-did you mean what you said earlier…  about a crush?”

“Yes.”

“But, why?”

“What do you mean, why?” blinking at the question.  “Is it really so hard for you to believe I might like you?”

“Yes,” fidgeting with her fingers, “I-I mean, there’s nothing special about me and I’m sure you meet lots of women that…”

He frowns, “I think you’re plenty special Lucy, it makes me sad that you think so lowly of yourself.”

“I’m just a waitress at a coffee shop making minimum wage, no siblings, my parents are both gone,” _sigh_ , “I gave up on my dreams a long time ago.”

“What was your dream, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“To be a writer.”

“And why can’t you do that?”

“Writing takes a lot of time, research, then hoping someone will publish your work, but I have to work a lot of hours…” crossing her arms over her chest for support, “I simply can’t afford to pursue something like that.”

Natsu pulls out his wallet and throws more than enough bills to cover their meal.  “Come on,” he stands up and holds out his hand, eyes softened, “let’s take a walk on the boardwalk, it’s nice at this hour and may help you relax.”

She takes his hand to stand up, but he doesn’t let it go.  Her first instinct was to pull away but when he squeezes it gently and intertwines their fingers, Lucy is too surprised to do anything more than go along with it.  They walk along the railing at a gingerly pace, as the salty air teases her senses.  How long had it been since she’s seen the ocean, Lucy wondered, probably before her parent’s accident several years ago?    Tears prick at her corners, so she stops to lean against the railing, and closes her eyes.  The accident that had changed her life.     

He looks over at the woman standing next to him, unquestioning when she’d suddenly stopped walking and now with her eyes closed tightly, it was painfully obvious that she was holding back tears.  Lucy’s arms wrap around her body, shivering from the slight chill in the air and the painful memories coming back to haunt her, so Natsu takes his suit jacket and puts it over her shoulders.

“Thank you,” she whispers, still unable to open her eyes, “I’m sorry…  I didn’t realize the ocean would bring up memories.”

“No need to apologize Lucy.”  He wanted so badly to embrace her and make her pain go away, hands fisted at his sides.  “But, if you’d like to talk about anything, I’m here for you.”  Lucy’s head drops further down, and a few tears escape along her cheeks; it wasn’t the reaction he had hoped for.  “Oh, shit, Lucy I didn’t mean to make you cry, please,” placing his hand on her arm before quickly retracting it, “don’t cry.”

She sniffles and turns her face to his, “It’s not your fault,” trying to muster a weak smile, “I’ll be okay, but c-could you take me home now?  I must look like a mess.”

His heart drops.  “Sure.”

 

Natsu couldn’t stop berating himself the entire ride.  All he had wanted to do was take her out for a nice, simple dinner and hopefully get her to realize how much he genuinely liked her but now all he felt like was an ass.  Of course, it wasn’t his fault, how could he have known taking her near the ocean would cause some kind of crappy memory to come back, but still, now she just wanted a ride back to the coffee shop claiming that her apartment was nearby, and she could just walk.  Why was he trying so hard when she was resisting every step of the way?  If it was for the simple notion that she just wasn’t interested, Natsu knew he would have just given up but there was something tugging at him, screaming at him, that it was much deeper and that made him all the more determined to reach her, protect her, love her.  That’s it, isn’t it, he finally admits to himself, he really had fallen in love with a woman he barely even knew. 

“Thank you for dinner Natsu,” she smiles lightly as she opens her door, “I assume I’ll see you tomorrow at the shop?”

“Most likely,” he smiles.  As she steps out, “hey um Lucy,” pausing to hear what he has to say, “never mind, forgot what I was gonna say.  Hope the rest of your night is better.”

“You too, bye Natsu,” she closes the door and starts walking down the block.

Natsu slaps himself, he shouldn’t have let it end like that, hell, he shouldn’t let her walk around on a New York street at night alone.  Quickly getting out and locking the car, he heads off in the direction she went.  He can still see her in the distance and follows, not catching up, but staying close enough not to lose her. 

By the time they had travelled two blocks he was beginning to realize she had lied about living close to work and the more worried he was becoming, because another block later and they had reached an area where there were a lot of run down apartment buildings.  Natsu speeds up his pace to a full sprint when he sees her walking into one of the buildings.  Just great, he didn’t want to lose her inside. 

Luckily for him, the door was not locked, and he got there just as she was heading up a flight of stairs, quietly following her to the 5th floor, and watched from around a corner as she entered an apartment, 3 doors down the hallway on their left.  He leans against the wall for a moment, what was he doing?  Was he there to make sure she got home safely?  That had been his first objective, true, but once he realized the kind of place she was living in, did that change?  So, she lived in a rundown apartment, he shouldn’t be so surprised, like she had said, she was just a waitress working at minimum wage, in a small coffee shop, but maybe knowing that, and seeing it for himself were two different things. 

The smart thing to do in this situation would be to leave.  He didn’t want her to think he had stalked her back to her apartment, right?  And it’s not like he had a good excuse to have tracked her down, she hadn’t forgotten anything in his car, had given him back the suit jacket once they were off the boardwalk.  Natsu runs his hand down his face, yes, the smart thing would be to leave but his feet weren’t cooperating so that brings him back to the why was he still standing there?  He wasn’t disgusted to find out her situation, no, it was the opposite he surmised, he was appalled that someone like her had to live like this.  _‘She deserves so much better!’_

Straightening out, Natsu marches over to her door and raises his hand to knock.  _‘What am I doing?’_ staying his hand.  _‘What if…  Ah, screw it all!’_   He knocks on her door.

“Who is it?” a quiet voice calls out

“I-It’s me…  It’s Natsu.”

“Natsu?” he hears locks and a chain being removed.  “What are you doing here?”  The door opens to reveal a very shocked woman still in her work clothes.  “How did you find me?”

“Please don’t be angry,” raking his hand through his hair in a nervous action, “but can I come in to talk?”  She pauses for a moment before moving out of the way to let him pass, then closing and locking the door.  As she goes through those motions, he does a quick survey of the apartment.  While it was a small, sparsely furnished abode, he could tell she had done her best to make it as nice as she probably could afford, but it was still just one step up from squalor and frankly, it broke his heart.

“So, why are you here?” Turning to face him.  Natsu couldn’t tell if she was angry, irritated, or just surprised. 

 _Exhale_ , “I told myself at first it was to just make sure you got home okay.  I mean, it’s New York, it’s not safe for a woman, or anyone frankly to be walking alone.  But then, when I saw where you were heading…  this area…” he can see her eyes widening at the assumption, he quickly walks over and grabs her hands.  “It’s not what I know you’re thinking.”

“How can you know what I’m thinking?”

“You think I’m disgusted by this place and therefore I must be disgusted with you.”  All she can do is look down.  “Lucy,” he forces her chin back up, “While I don’t like this place, it only makes me not want to see you in it…  you deserve better…” tears are welling up in her eyes.  “… you deserve so much more and,” _exhale_ , “and I want to give that to you.”

“What?  Natsu you can’t be serious,” she tries to pull away, but he pulls her into an embrace.  With her face almost tucked against his chest and through her sniffles, “you barely even know me, and…”

“The truth is, I followed you because I wanted to tell you, I, I really like you Lucy,” tightening his hold on her, “all these months… I just…  it started…  I want to know you, the real you.  I want to take away all your pain.”  He can feel the wetness from her tears staining his shirt, but he doesn’t care.  “I want to make you happy.”

“Natsu, this is crazy…”

He pulls back and wipes the tears away from her cheeks, smiling, “Lucy come with me, please let met take you out of here.  You could work at Fairytail a few shifts if you want to, but if your dream is to be a writer, then, be a writer.  I want to see you smile, and laugh, and free you from whatever is weighing on you.  I have so much money but it’s worth anything if I don’t have someone special to share it with.”

The whole situation was just like the twilight zone, and for the first time that day, Lucy not only smiled but laughed, giggled like a normal girl and that made his heart skip.  “Am I like Cinderella to you, and you’re a prince taking me from rags to riches?”

Natsu chuckles, “I guess that’s what a writer would think of,” sweeping his thumb against her cheek, “I think I’m starting to see the real you…” she blushes, “… and it is so beautiful inside and out.”

“Y-you really… want me… to be what, your girlfriend?”

Grinning, “Mmm, eventually my wife, but that’s a start.”  She pushes away in embarrassment but Natsu sweeps in to capture her lips instead, melting her back into his chest.  “So, what do you say Lucy,” brushing his lips against her cheek, “will you let me sweep you off your feet?”

“Right now?”

“Right now.”

“B-but what about my things?”

“You could just pack up a suitcase for now and I’ll send a moving team.  So…”

Lucy takes a good look at her surroundings before her eyes land back on the man staring at her with such a mixture of hope and sincerity that it finally cracks the wall around her heart.  “Okay.”

“Okay?”

She taps his chest and giggles, “go get your car while I pack before I change my mind.”

“I’m on it!” kissing her cheek before rushing towards the door.

“Oh, and Natsu?” he turns to see a genuine smile gracing her face.  “Thank you.”


	32. Slowing It Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus Day Drive prompt

He’d learned over the years not to bother her when she was like this, hunched over her laptop, consigned to the study only stopping to eat, sleep, and take care of personal hygiene.  Lucy’s routines had changed little, only increasing if anything now that she had made it as an author.  But Natsu didn’t mind one bit.

They had met before she became famous, back in middle school the stories were just ideas, by high school they had been committed to paper.  She always shared them with him and he thought they were great, so he supported and coaxed her to never give up on her dreams, so by the time they graduated, Lucy had been published several times as an amateur writer.  Her short stories and poems gave her a purpose in life and Natsu would do anything to help her with that.  He was there through all the trials and rejections, and he was there when she had her first success.

It was in their senior year of college that Lucy had finally garnered the attention of a small publishing house who sent her first novel to print and now 5 years later, her third was almost complete.  The deadline for her editor was just one month away, hence the seclusion, so Natsu bided his time, patiently waiting like he always did and planning…

 

~~X~~

 

Natsu hears the front door opening and closing, keys heard clattering onto the counter signaling his girlfriend’s arrival home and he rounds the corner just as Lucy is shrugging off her coat. 

“How’d it go?” giving her a quick peck on the cheek

“Levy thinks it’ll be another success.”

He takes her coat and hangs it up, “sounds great Luce, now you can relax.”

“And that starts right now with a nice hot bath.”

“Thought you’d say that,” smiling, “got the tub all ready for you.”

“Mmm,” kissing him, “what would I do without you Natsu.”

Grin, “seeing you happy, makes me happy,” returning the kiss, “now you go relax and by the time you get out I’ll have dinner made…”

 

~~X~~

 

A week later, the young couple were driving through the countryside on their way to a bed and breakfast Natsu had found.  It was a nice change of pace, Lucy had to admit, usually he’d book them a flight somewhere to get away, but this time had chosen to drive.  There were no airports where he planned to take her, was his explanation but, frankly, she didn’t care where they went so long as he was at her side.

She stared out the passenger window, watching as the landscape changed along the way from grasslands to forests and back again, rolling hills dotted with livestock, wooden fences and scattered homes, it was all so beautiful for the mostly city girl.  Lucy sees the smile on her boyfriend’s face in the reflection and it brings out her own.  While writing will always be her _first_ love, Natsu Dragneel was the love of her life, second to none.  She’d give up writing in a heartbeat if he asked her to, but what made her fall in love in the first place, was he encouraged the opposite.  His gentle pushes to follow her dreams, and the ever-present comfort and support he gave her is the reason she was a success.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Natsu’s voice pulls her away from her day dreams.

“This trip is different from the others,” she smiles and turns to face him, “but that somehow makes me more excited.”

“Oh?”

“This scenery is so refreshing,” gazing out the window again with a sigh to her tone, “I could almost picture living in a place like this, maybe at least having a cottage to run away to,” turning back to him, “wouldn’t that be nice?”

He takes her hand, squeezing lightly, “I agree.” 

 

~~X~~

 

“So, what’s on today’s agenda?” Lucy smiles at the man in the driver’s seat.  Natsu had done a great job planning out this little vacation, from the beautiful bed and breakfast they were staying in, down to their daily activities, always making sure to mix relaxation in with fun and new sights to see.  It was almost sad to think they’d be heading home the next day. 

“For the morning I though we’d play tourist,” smiling back at his girl, “the next town over has a lot of little shops and road side stands to see, maybe pick up a few more souvenirs.”

“You really did your homework, I see my research obsession may have rubbed off on you.”

He laughs, “How could it not, especially once I started assisting you with them.”

“And I appreciate it all.  I even get the sense that parts of this trip have had a purpose.”

 _Gasp_! “You’ve caught me,” grinning, “I know you’ve never really experienced the country-side and now if you want to write about it, you’ll have a better understanding of it.”

“If that’s the case, the next trip should be to some tropical island cause you know,” tossing a wink, “trying to describe sand beneath your feet would be much easier when you’ve tried it before.”

He grabs her hand and brings the back of it to his lips, “I’ll keep that in mind…”

 

There was one main street in the town and true to his word there were many little stores to peruse through.  Curio and antique shops filled with trinkets and unique items, hand crafted art pieces, and other knick-knacks showcasing the areas agricultural heritage.  Lucy didn’t think little ceramic cow figurines could be so interesting because frankly they weren’t, but it seemed much more exciting to find with Natsu as her treasure hunting buddy.

The locals were friendly with outsiders, and that made it all the more refreshing to see such down to earth people when you’re usually surrounded by city dwellers more interested in anonymity and privacy.  Everything about the picturesque town appealed to the young couple, fresh air with hints of citrus from nearby orchards, sounds of birds and crickets instead of cars and machinery, and the stars at night, so unbidden without the glare of false light to hamper their glow. 

As Natsu watched Lucy chatting away with one of the roadside vendors he could only stand back, smitten.  It was so natural to envision her in this setting on a permanent basis, maybe a child or two at her side…  He smiles at the picture in his mind, is it really such a farfetched idea, she did say that it would be nice to have a home out here.  One day, maybe, his girl in a light summery dress, in an apron, baking cookies in the kitchen or tending to flowers in a garden, yes, such a beautiful sight it would be.

 

~~X~~

 

After paying the entrance fee for the apple orchard, Natsu and Lucy follow a guide around the expansive property.  Storage buildings, machinery for watering and fertilizing, this farm used ATV’s and trailers to transport harvested apples from the fields to the processing stations, and teams of people picked the apples by hand to reduce damage and bruising.  This was a fairly large operation but it sure didn’t seem like it since everyone was working so smoothly.  They had been told that the owners treated their employees well and it kept moral and production up, even hiring many of the high schoolers during the summer for the peak picking season.

At the end of the tour, they were taken to a section of the orchard close to the main facility, where guests were given a box and allowed to pick as much as that box could hold which Natsu guessed was about two dozen.  So, with one last lesson on what to look for in terms of ripeness and quality, the young couple set off into the trees.

Natsu carried their box as Lucy walked ahead of him searching through the branches for apples that caught her eye.  She was so striking with the light filtering against her sun-kissed locks created an aura around her and for a moment he needed to release the breath he had been withholding.  It was magical in a way, as he gripped a small felt box in his pocket, the Gods were setting up the scene he had only hoped for, but it was up to him to take advantage of it.

“I think we can reach these,” her voice transports him back to their mission.  She turns to look at where her boyfriend was standing, staring at her.  “What?” checking her clothing.  “Do I have a bug on me or something?”

“No,” he smiles and closes the distance, “I was just thinking how the sunlight makes you shine.”

She blushes, “Natsu, is the heat getting to you?  Maybe we should hurry and get back to the B&B, so you can rest.”

“I’m fine,” reaching up to pick an apple, “nothing wrong with admiring something beautiful, right?”

“You’re such a weirdo sometimes!” Lucy turns to focus on picking more apples and hide the crimson coloring her cheeks. 

This was such the perfect opportunity with her back turned, as Natsu pretends to go about their task of filling the box with apples. 

“Hey Lucy, come see this apple, it’s got something sticking out of it.”

“What are you talking about,” she turns and walks back to where he is, “it better not be just the stem…”

“I swear it’s not,” he hands the fruit to her, careful to face the object away from her.        

Lucy takes it, “It looks norm…” turning it in her hands she pauses, eyes widening at the sight and heat rushing to her face as she sees him drop down before her.

He takes the apple back, pulling the ring from where he’d stuck it into its flesh, and holds it up to her.  “Will you marry me Lucy Heartfillia?”

Seconds tick by, counted by each beat of her hammering heart as Natsu grasps her left hand.  He watched with earnest for her response, and moisture gathers around the corners of her brightened eyes while her brain caught up to what was happening.  The internal voice was screaming yes over and over, but her mouth ran dry, choking on the word that wanted to escape its lips, so she did the only thing that she could force out.

Nodding her head, Lucy drops to her knees and throws her arms around him. 

“You’re nodding yes, right?” he hugs her close.

And its just a whisper mixed with sobs, “yes!  Oh God, Yes!”

Natsu leans back enough to kiss and lean his forehead against hers, “You’ve made me the happiest man in the world Luce.”  He takes a moment to slip the ring on her finger.  “And I’m gonna take care of you for the rest of our lives.”

“You had this all planned, didn’t you?  Driving us out to the country to relax?  Even coming to this orchard?”  

“The driving part yes, I wanted to propose somewhere away from the city.”  He sits back and caresses her cheek, “but this place ended up being a perfect impromptu choice.”

She sniffles but smiles and leans into his hand with her eyes closed, “that it was,” _sigh_ , “that it was…”


	33. Litmus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> GaLe Short story.
> 
> Levy's doctor prescribes a stress test for the young woman, and Doctor Redfox is looking forward to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> requested by an anonymous person on Tumblr

As she sat on the examination table awaiting the doctor’s arrival, Levy couldn’t help but let some of her nerves run a little freely.  She was still a young woman pushing her late 20’s and didn’t understand why her regular doctor had ordered this test.  But in the end, she trusted her friend, Doctor Heartfillia, I mean the girl had excelled through medical school with high marks and quickly landed a position with a well-known clinic upon graduation.  That had to mean Lucy knew what she was prescribing, right? 

So, she decided to focus on other things in the room to take her mind of the upcoming test, like why are these exam station’s always so high?  Even a tall person’s leg’s may not reach the floor when fully seated but for the vertically challenged like her, the scene must be amusing.  Levy swings her legs a bit, giggling to the empty room at how she must look like a child right now. 

After she had arrived a female nurse had hooked her up to an EKG machine, explaining that they needed to obtain a control sample of her heart rate before the actual stress test began. The monitor was a bunch of peaks and beeps, but as far as Levy could tell, they looked normal.  With an even and steady rhythm, and no strange looking mountain’s or valleys, it only added to her irritation for having been sent here when nothing seemed wrong with her. 

‘ _If it turns out I’m healthy, Lucy is going to owe me lunch for wasting my time!  And where is this doctor?  The nurse said 10 minutes and I swear it’s been longer,’_ looking at her phone, _‘yup, 20 minutes and counting!’_

By the 30-minute mark, the bluenette was ready to rip the electrodes off and leave, to hell with the test, she had other plans that day and while they may not be important, it sure would be better than sitting in the cold doctor’s office!  There is a knock at the door and finally the doctor walks in.  She turns ready to give him or her an earful about being tardy, but the words die in her throat.

“Sorry for the wait Ms. McGarden, another test subject took longer than expected.  I’m Doctor Redfox, but please call me Gajeel,” sticking out his hand to shake, “I’ll be running the test on you.”

“Please, j-just call me Levy,” returning the gesture with a blooming blush to her cheeks.

It was like some surreal scene in a fiction story with the odd, out of place character, for the man before her looked like he’d be more comfortable under the hood of a car rather than in a white coat.  His voice was gruff, hands like a vice, muscles for days, and piercings, what kind of doctor walked around with visible tattoo’s and piercings?!  Even his hair, while tied back in a low hanging pony, was long and reminiscent of a rock band member, not a medical professional!  A sneaking suspicion slinked its way through her mind, Lucy had planned this, there was nothing wrong with her, and it was all a matchmaking session!    

Levy couldn’t know at the time, that while it was her best friend that had set up this little meeting, it was at the, well, behest of the current doctor in the room.  Gajeel had seen the pretty little woman with his colleague and fell head over heels.  But now up close and personal, he wondered how he was going to make it through this rouse while maintaining a professional manner.  Just the way her feet barely reached half way to the floor was absolutely adorable!           

The longer she stared at the hulking doctor, the more her nerves spiraled, and soon the once tranquil peaks and valleys turned tsunami waves, the rhythmic beeps a new techno sound. Alarmed at the rapid change in heartrate and the now rosy young woman, Gajeel ushers her to lie down.  “How often do you experience such sudden attacks?” 

“I don’t…. I-I mean this is my first time.”

He hadn’t expected a real reaction to happen, the plan was to simply run her through the test, make small talk, hopefully build a nice rapport, and confirm that she was fit as a fiddle.  Concerned that there could be an underlying issue or simply machine error, he turns to check the monitors, clicking and reading through the screens, verifying up till the moment he walked in her EKG was within the normal range.  Gajeel returns to Levy’s side with a good idea of what caused the attack.

Taking her pulse manually by way of her wrist, secretly relishing how tiny it was in his hand, “your heart rate has come down but it’s still higher than your normal range.”  He smiles and locks eyes with the nervous woman, his voice softening along with his expression, “that’s a good sign.”

“Great…”

“I don’t think I’d want to put you through a real test so quickly after an episode…”

“Why not?!  I’d rather just get it over with this.  I swear there’s nothing even wrong with me.”

“It would be unethical for me to put your heart through such stress twice in a day, and I for one wouldn’t mind seeing you again.”

Levy sits up, “you want to me see… a-again?”

Now it was his turn to be nervous.  With her mocha hues, bright and trained waiting for a response, suddenly the chart in his hand weighed like a brick.  He places it on the edge of the nearby counter, and runs his hand over his hair, “gehe, what I meant to say…”   _‘fuck her eyes are really…’_   “I mean…”

“You mean?”

“Okay look, the truth is this was all a set up…”

“I knew it!”  Levy jumps off the table, shaking a finger at him.  _‘Wow, he’s tall…’_ shaking the thought off.  “Lucy did this as a joke right?!  I am totally going to get her back for wasting my time…”

“No, no,” Gajeel waves his hands, “it’s not her fault, I asked her to set this up.”

Levy straightens out and stops berating him, “Huh?  Why would you…. We’ve never even met before…”

“I saw you one day with her and, I, ah, gehe, thought you were really cute, so I begged her to help me.”

“I see…” she leans back against the exam table with a new glint in her eye.  “Tell you what, you take me out to dinner tonight and I’ll forgive both of you for this little escapade.  Throw in a little bribery, and I’ll maybe… give you a chance for a do-over.” 

“Done!  Gehe, I’ll take you anywhere you wanna go!  Wait, where do you like to eat?”

She sashay’s over to him and pats his chest, “figure it out big boy,” winks and walks out the door.

Whipping out his phone, Gajeel punches in Lucy’s number faster than he’s ever dialed before, “911!  What’s Levy’s favorite restaurant?!” 


	34. Happy's Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for Nalu Fluff Week 2018 day 3 comfort/blanket prompt

Nothing seemed to soothe the 2-year-old child from the storm brewing outside the cottage.  It was gearing up to be a long night as flashes of light followed by foundation shaking booms rattled the rain beaten windows. Their 7-year-old twins were fast asleep in their rooms but Lani was currently latched onto her mother and Lucy was running out of ways to console the child.

“It’s okay baby girl,” her mother coos, rocking the sobbing child, “we’re safe inside here.”

Natsu walks into their bedroom, “she’s still upset?”   

Lucy nods, “nothings helping, and the storm is getting louder.  She’s so tired, but she’s fighting it.”

He kisses his wife’s temple, “I found something that used to help me when I was little,” holding up a worn and slightly tattered, faded blue fleece blanket with a cat design on it.  “When Igneel adopted me, I was afraid of the dark because I thought something would grab me and take me away, but then he gave me this blanket and told me it would ward off the monsters,” he chuckles, “sounds silly now but at 4 I believed him and as long as I had this thing with me when I went to sleep I was okay.”

She chuckles and smiles at her husband, “I don’t know if Lani will understand that but maybe it’s _powers_ will work on her too.  Where’d you have that thing stashed?”

“In a trunk in the attic,” holding it to his nose briefly, “I kept it sealed so it should be fine.”

Again, Lucy giggles, “You’re such a sentimental dork…” eyes lightening, “but it’s one of the things I love about you Natsu.”

He unfolds the blanket over his forearms and holds them out, “give her here, let’s see if I can get her to settle down.”  Lucy transfers their daughter to her husband’s awaiting arms, careful to peel the tiny fingers that are clutched to her clothing once he’s got the child’s weight balanced in his hold.  Lani’s sobbing had already begun to slow the moment she hit the blanket.  Natsu envelops his little girl in the warmth and softness, into a snug bundle, she grips the fabric, opening, clenching her fingers almost exploring the new blanket and for a moment her parents hold out hope this was working. 

Lani looks up at her dad and mom as she continues fiddling with the material, “yes baby girl, this is going to keep you safe from anything,” Natsu smiles at the child, “just like we will.”

“Da?” the child burbles, still nasally but better, her eyes starting to roll with already heavy lids closing.

Natsu nods towards the lamp and his wife moves to turn it off while he lays back, scooting under the covers and over to one side, keeping Lani between them when Lucy joins them. She leans down and kisses her daughter’s forehead then kisses her husband, “did you ever name your blanket?”

“Don’t laugh but, just Happy.”

“Happy?”

“I was 4, and it made me happy, so yeah, Happy.”

“Well now you’ve made this little one very happy,” Lucy gives him one more peck on the lips, ending with a light giggle, “good job papa, I think Igneel would be very proud of you too.”

He looks down at his daughter and smiles…


	35. Obake Files

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For NaLu Fluff Week 2018 Day 5 Adventure

It was by no means the most idiotic idea her boyfriend has ever had, but it was certainly not one she was looking forward to either.  First of all, it was lame, I mean who even does this anymore, high schoolers that were bored, maybe even college frat boys on a dare.  Lucy thought they were beyond the foolish whims of adolescence, but this was Natsu she needed to remind herself, mister spontaneous who would jump off the cliff at South Point or still hung upside down on a jungle gym with primary schoolers.

“And where pray-tell did you plan to go ghost hunting?”

“Gray was telling me about the old hospital…”

“You mean ‘baby’s cries’?”

“Yeah!  You heard of it?”

“Who hasn’t heard the stories, supposedly you hear the sounds of babies crying or nonsense, lights from nowhere, all the typical mumbo jumbo.”

“So, you don’t believe any of it?”

“Nope.”

“Well then you won’t get scared.”  Grabbing her hands and pouting, “Please Luce?”  

 _Sigh_ , “Just don’t whine to me when you see it’s nothing.”

 

The old Hilo Memorial hospital was a relic from the days of 1892 and like many old structures, tales of paranormal events can be common.  Local residents have all heard the stories, but the most famous had to be of infants crying.  While rumors of a devastating fire still abound, there is no record of one ever taking place on the site, but if you consider the level of medical care one could receive in the early parts of the last century, one could assume that a few babies may not have survived long after birth.  In fact, one of Hawaii’s customs of celebrating a child’s first birthday is rooted in this part of olden day life.   

And leave it to an idiot to want to investigate a place like that.

Of course, access to the private property would be considered trespassing since it wasn’t a fully abandoned site yet plus the real phenomena tends to happen in the later parts of or the early morning hours, neither of which sounded very thrilling for said fools, poor girlfriend.  Luckily for her, the other part of the idiot duo agreed to join them.  Frankly, if Lucy could convince Gray into helping her scare her boyfriend out of the place quickly she’d be willing to forgive him for suggesting this in the first place!

“Okay, Juvia is going to drop us off at the hospital and will be back by 1am unless we call her sooner.”

“Great 2 hours stuck here,” Lucy rolls her eyes, “I’m hoping for the sooner part.”

“Aww,” Natsu throws his arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder, “be positive Luce and have some fun with it.”

“You know I told you the story about this place, but I didn’t mean for you to want to come here.”

“Gray, don’t you know me by now?  That kind of story just screams for me to check it out!”

He rolls his eyes, “you are such an idiot, but let’s get this over with.”

With flashlights sweeping the grounds, the trio make their way through the overgrown brush into the derelict buildings.  Natsu had done some research and was pretty sure he was leading them towards the famed nursery ward where most of the ‘activity’ is supposed to take place.  It was a moonless night which made traversing the area difficult, lots of rotting equipment left behind, even the Coqui frogs seemed deafening.  To top it all off it had rained earlier in the day leaving puddles everywhere and a damp musty smell in the air, but not the wet fabric that sat a little too long, more like an organic, algae rotting along a pond scent.

“I swear to god Natsu if I step in anything nasty and ruin my sneakers you’re buying me new ones!”

“You’ll be fine Luce…” he stops and holds up an arm motioning for them to do the same, “did you guys here that?”

“Ugh, you mean the frogs, there’s a river behind here remember?”

“Not the frogs, you guys didn’t hear the scratching sound?”

“It’s probably just a branch or something, there is a slight breeze tonight.”

“I swear it didn’t sound like that, more like something dragging across the ground or…”

“Dude you’ve been watching too many horror movies,” Gray pushes Natsu from behind, “keep going, the faster we move, the faster we get out of here.”

“ _Tch_ ,” Natsu crosses his arms, “you guys are no fun.”

“ _We_ didn’t want to be here in the first place!”

“Yeah babe, I’d rather watch a horror movie than try to be _In_ one.”

For the first hour nothing but the sounds of nature, crickets, frogs, and a few rats were the only real signs of life in this building.  Every so often Natsu would stop to investigate a window or side room, claiming to have heard a voice or more movement type sounds but his friends would just groan and roll their eyes.  Gray and Lucy didn’t hear or see anything that couldn’t be easily discounted as a critter or just his imagination running wild.      

By then they had moved on from the nursery and aside for a few possible forsaken sheds, the other buildings were still in use and locked up tight for the evening.

“Let’s go Natsu, there’s nothing here.”

“But Luce,” her boyfriend whines, “something could still happen.”

“Yeah, me planting my foot on your face,” Gray retorts, “I’m friggen bored and I’d rather be hanging out with my girlfriend then be here.”

“Please Natsu, we’ve entertained your little adventure enough, wouldn’t you rather go home,” the blonde squeezes his arm hinting at other pleasures, “there’s better things we could be doing.”

“Listen to your girlfriend man and take her home…”

“Ugh, fine okay, call Juvia.”

They start walking towards the main parking lot from alongside of the building as Gray calls his girlfriend to pick them up.  There was quite a lot of brush that they needed to maneuver around, and Lucy held onto her boyfriend’s hand to keep from getting lost.  Just as they reach the corner of the structure a loud crunching sound takes them all by surprise, Lucy squeals and grips to Natsu’s hand, even Gray and Natsu flinch. 

“See I told you some…”

A beam of light flashes onto the trio, “What are you kids doing here?!”  A security guard stands with one hand on his radio while the other holds a bright flashlight on them. 

“N-nothing officer sir,” Natsu steps forward slightly to shield his girl, “we’re just waiting for our ride and got curious about this place.”  And just at that moment a pair of headlights enters the parking lot, “see, there’s our ride.”

The security guard turns to look at the vehicle pulling up then back to the group, “I don’t wanna see you guys traipsing around in the dark later or I’ll call the cops, now get!”

“Thank you, sir,” Lucy drags Natsu with her, followed by Gray as they sprint for Juvia’s car.  She lets out a big exhale once the doors close and they were safely strapped in.  “That was close, no more ghost hunting okay Natsu?”

“Why,” whining and leaning against her shoulder, “there are other places to explore.”

“Then you can go by yourself,” Gray snarls from the passenger seat.

“Even if there are spirits, Juvia thinks it’s better to leave them alone.”

“Good point Juvy,” Lucy pats her friend’s shoulder, “so agreed Natsu?  No more ghost hunting because I’m not doing this again.”

“I guess so, it’s no fun to go by myself,” Natsu gives Lucy a quick peck on the lips, then turns and leans forward, “you guys wanna stop at Ken’s, I’m hungry and I’ll treat." 

“Hmph, if the fools willing to pay I’m down,” Gray responds, “Juvia are you okay with that?”

“Juvia is a little hungry too.”

“Great!”  Natsu bounces in his seat, “I’m so gonna get the Sumo!”  Lucy pulls her boyfriend back to settle down, leaning against him if at least to hold him still, but he takes the hint and places his arm around her shoulder.  “I know I’m a pain sometimes but thanks for humoring me Luce.”

“You do make life more interesting,” patting his chest and chuckling, “but next time, learn to listen to your girlfriend!”


	36. Hormone's Are a Bitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NaLu Fluff Week 2018 Day 6 Protection

It was just over a month since the newlyweds returned from their honeymoon and they had just finished moving all of Lucy’s belonging’s into Natsu’s cottage in time for the housewarming party that evening.  Renovations to the bachelor pad had taken a little longer than they had anticipated but now the cottage, included two bedrooms, a larger bath, small office for Lucy, and a little loft of his own for Happy.  All that was left to do was shop for food and supplies. 

Holding his wife’s hand, they walk along the path to the closest general store.  “What are we grabbing?”

“I told everyone to potluck, they should be bringing something for dinner or a desert, so we just need to make a couple of dishes too and buy drinks.”

“Sounds good,” he pulls her closer as they pass a couple of strangers heading in the opposite direction. “Do I get to…” Natsu’s brows furrow and he pauses, glaring at another male walking towards them, “…burn… anything…” growling as the stranger passes by.

“Is something wrong Natsu?”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because you just growled at some random guy.”

“He was looking at you.”

“Are you sure, it didn’t seem like it.”

“Don’t worry about it, you were saying.”

“To answer your question, if you want to do a barbecue item, yeah that’s fine, but well done not over-cooked.”

“Sure,” giving her his trademark grin, “anything for you babe…”

 

 

The party was going smoothly, guests arriving early, typical for their guild mates who were always up for a good time.  The guys were lounging on the porch area with Natsu on the grill while the girls gathered in the living room to chatter away the newest gossip. 

“So, Lucy, how is married life treating you?”

“Nothing’s changed except for the title.”  Everyone chuckles.  “I mean it was a bit of an adjustment to live together 24/7, even though he was at my apartment most of the time, and I still don’t always respond to Mrs. Dragneel.”

Levy giggles, “Yeah as happy as we are to gain that designation, it still takes time for it to feel normal.”

“Lucy,” she hears her husband calling from the front door and turns.

“Yes Natsu?”

“Do you want me to bring the meat in?”

“Please and put it on the dining table.  Are you done cooking everything?”

“Yup!”

“Awesome cause I’m starving, tell the guys to come in and eat.”

As everyone busies themselves making plates and finding places to either sit or stand, Lucy has resettled back on the couch with Levy on one side of her while the other remained empty for the time being.  She assumed Natsu would join her, but he was in a conversation with Gray, Erza, and Rogue who had just arrived with a couple other Sabertooth members.

“Yukino!” Lucy stands up and hugs her fellow Spirit mage, “I’m so glad you could drop by!”

“Hi Yukino,” Levy also stands up, “please have a seat, I’m sure you two have some catching up to do.”

“Are you sure,” both Spirit mages ask of the script mage.

“Yeah, I should go check on Gajeel anyways,” waving as she walks away.

Just before the two women can sit, another familiar face saunters up.  “Lucy!  Long time no see!”

“Sting!”  Lucy steps forward to hug her friend but before she can do that, Natsu steps between them, a blur of growling heat, pushing Sting away.

“Don’t touch her!” 

“Dude, what’s your problem?! We were just saying hi.”

“Natsu, what the hell?!” Lucy tries to push out of his grip, but her husband has got a tight hold around her body, “Natsu let me go, he didn’t do anything…”

“He was gonna touch you,” the fire slayer’s growl sends goosebumps along her flesh, “no guy is allowed to touch you!”  Gray, Gajeel, and Rogue all rush over, the ice mage trying to pull Lucy free while the other two slayers grabbing for Natsu’s arms, but this sets Natsu off even more.  The second Gray lays a hand on Lucy’s arm he reacts with more violence, striking out with fire from his hand.

“Fuck’s your problem Pyro!” Gray jumps back, icing over the spot Natsu managed to burn before he could react.  “You could have burned me bad!”

“Then you shouldn’t try to touch what’s mine!” 

Lucy is crying and screaming at her husband to let go, while he was fighting the other slayers from pulling them apart.  But luckily between Gajeel and Rogue, with the addition of Laxus, the three men are physically able to pry him away from her and she can run to the protection of the rest of their friends.  Natsu’s fury rises, growling, cussing to be let go, she was his mate, and no male should be putting their hands on his mate.  Before he can break free, Gajeel hits him over the head hard, knocking him out where they dump him on the couch.

“He-he’s not acting like Natsu…” Lucy kneels beside her unconscious husband, “the last few day’s he’s been so territorial, but this is by far the worst he’s acted.”

Both Gajeel and Rogue take up positions next to the distraught woman, giving each other sideway glances.  The iron dragon slayer shakes his head and the other sighs, “I guess I’ll explain it.”

“Explain what?” she looks to Rogue, hope and questions filling her confused expression.

“We think it’s because you’re… probably pregnant, that’s usually when slayers can become highly territorial over their mates.”

“P-P-Pregnant, but it’s only been…. I mean it’s too early to…” 

Rogue again looks to his fellow slayer, “You’re the only one of us that’s been through it before, it’s best you answer her questions.”

“Ugh, fine,” touchy feely subject weren’t exactly Gajeel’s strong suit.  “Look as you know, his nose can pick up the slightest changes, better than any of ours, and even if he didn’t know what it meant, his dragon does and it’s reacting to it.  Now that I’m this close to you I can smell a change.”

“But what am I supposed to do about it?  How did you and Levy deal with it?  How long does this last?  I mean if he’s gonna act like this every time other males are around, I, we won’t be able to leave the house!”

“The territorialism seems to dissipate around the 3-month mark and reappears during the last 2, at least when Levy was pregnant that’s when I started to feel less anxious.  I think it’s because the beginning and end is the most dangerous times for the woman and unborn child.”

And that’s when Levy takes over for her husband, “Lucy,” she puts her arm around her friend, “luckily Porlyusica has a potion that calmed Gajeel, it doesn’t make their senses completely go away but it dulls it to a more manageable state.  Hopefully it will work for Natsu too.”

“I can fly there now and ask her for it,” Happy offers.

Charle, “and I’ll go with him to make sure he asks for the right thing.”

Lucy looks around her, still anxious, but she pulls out a small smile, “thank you everyone, I-I don’t know what I would have done if you guys weren’t around.”

Erza steps forward as Lucy stands up, placing a hand upon her friend’s shoulder, “now that it’s been figured out, I believe congratulations are in order.”

“I appreciate that, but it wouldn’t be fair until Natsu is awake.  He may already get upset that he’s the last to find out.”

“You’re right,” the red head smiles, “it might also be best if all the males wait outside until Happy and Charle returns, just in case Natsu wakes up before then.”  Those in the room nod without further complaint and take their leave, they won’t go far, just the porch in case they are needed, but at least out of view of their fellow slayer.  The women gather around Lucy and for a half hour make small talk, mostly centering around the new edition to come. 

Wendy had confirmed the other slayers suspicions and recommended she find a physician in town, Levy recommending the one she had used.  By the time Happy and Charle returned, Natsu had not yet awaken, so Lucy takes her time familiarizing herself with the remedy, again Levy taking point, explaining that he must take the potion once a week to keep his behavior in check.  “So, make sure you don’t run out.”

Lucy let’s out a long exhale, “well, I guess it’s time we should wake him up.”

Each of the girls take up a position around the couch, Erza posting closest to his upper body in case she needs to grab him, even Yukino ready to switch into defensive mode if necessary.  With one last deep breath, Lucy kneels next to her husband and gently prods at his body. “Natsu…. Natsu wake up, it’s time to get up…”

“Ughhh,” the slayer shifts, hand raising to rub at the top of his head where Gajeel had hit him. “Lucy?”

“Yes, Natsu it’s me.”

He opens one of his eyes, still groggy and wincing from pain, “why does my head hurt?”

“Well…” Lucy looks at the others before turning back to see both his eyes open, “how about you sit up first, can you do that for me?”

“Yeah,” though his mind is dazed and foggy, he manages to sit up with her help.  “I remember getting angry but how did I end up on the couch?”

“At least you remember something,” placing her hands on his knees and looking up at him, “you flew into a, a rage when Sting tried to hug me and when Gray tried to pull me away from you because your hold was starting to hurt me,” she shows him the slightly reddish marks on her arms, “burnt him too when you did it.”

“I remember some of that…” tears well up at the sight of her marks, “I’m so sorry Lucy!  You know I’d never ever want to hurt you…”

“I know Natsu,” caressing his cheek, “you weren’t acting like your normal self.”

“But why is this happening, why am I lashing out like this?!”

“It’s your territorial, err, your dragon’s protective instincts because I’m pregnant.”

“Oh well that makes, wait what?!” he grabs her hands, “you’re pregnant?!”

She nods, “I had no idea either, but Gajeel and Rogue were the first to pick up on it and explained it all to me.  The changes in my body that started to happen, I guess you were reacting to them without knowing what it meant.”

Levy walks over and kneels next to her friend, “Natsu don’t feel so bad, Gajeel and I went through this too, but he just knew, and we were able to react before anyone else realized it.”  Lucy puts a small bottle into Natsu’s hands as her friend continued talking.  “If you take this once a week the potion will curb your basic instincts through the pregnancy, so you don’t react as harshly to other males.  You will still feel the need to protect, but it will be more manageable.”

“Did this help Gajeel?”

“Yes,” the script mage smiles, “if not, he probably would have killed Jet or Droy during that time.”

“Good point,” Natsu lifts the bottle up, “and,” taking one of his wife’s hands and kissing the back of it, “I will do anything not to bring you harm or worry.”  The whole room, including the eavesdroppers outside breath a collective sigh of relief as he downed the contents of the small bottle. “Thank you for not running away from me Lucy, I was probably pretty scary when I snapped like that.”

“Oh Natsu,” popping up to hug him, “I’ll never leave your side no matter what!  I might need to tie you up if it happens again but, we’ll get through it together.”

“I love you so much!” he tightens the embrace, a few tears streaming down both their faces, then looks up, “and thank you guys for being here for her.”

“Does that mean we can come back in?” Sting pops his head back in the front door.  “So, we can all properly congratulate you guys?” 

Lucy looks to her husband whose face has returned to a grimace.  Levy shakes her head, “the potion takes about half an hour to start fully working.” 

“How about we come to the guild in the morning?” Natsu nods in agreement with his wife’s suggestion, “He should be fine by then.”

“We can find an inn to stay at tonight,” Sabertooth’s master responds with a wave, “see you guys in the morning.”

Erza walks up, “Will you be okay if we leave you for the night?”

“Yeah, I think so, he’s calmed down.”

“Alright.” The girls take turns hugging Lucy and Natsu while the guys simply wave from the door. “Good night you two.”

With everyone gone, and no one to set off Natsu’s protective instincts, his personality is back to his normal self and the one absolutely bubbling with excitement over the prospect of their first child.  He picks her up and swings her around, “I can’t believe we’re gonna be parents!” Setting her back on her feet, “you are gonna be the best mom I just know it!”

“And you’ll be an amazing father Natsu, I’m sure.”

“Lucy, I really am sorry I hurt you tonight.”

“Natsu don’t apologize, this side of you, it’s something no one told you about, so how could you have prevented it?  And really, it’s not a horrible thing, at least I know you’ll do what you can to protect us.”

“But still, I could have done serious damage,” taking another look at her arm and frowning, “it makes me sick knowing I put this on you.”

“All we can do is learn from what happened, okay,” cradling his face in her hand, “now that you know what scent to pick up on, we can identify it quickly and get the medicine from Porlyusica, and even so, now that I know that you become protective during this time, I can make sure to avoid situations that could trigger an episode in the future.”

He leans his forehead to hers, “I’m so lucky you picked me Lucy…”

“We picked each other Natsu, for better or for worse and we sure as hell have seen much worse over the years to let this get the best of us.”

“You’re right... You’re usually right…”

“Just remember you said that,” she smiles, rewarding him with a kiss.  “Now, shall we get some sleep, _daddy_?”

He chuckles, “ _daddy,_ I can get used to that…”


	37. Secret Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nalu Fluff Week 2018 day 7 & bonus day future & plushies

Her mother handed her the stuffed dragon doll, chuckling as the child quickly wrapped her arms around it, giggling with bright chocolate eyes.  “Is this from you mommy?”

“No dear, someone left it for you this morning.”

“But who?”

“I have no idea, the card simply said from your friend.”  She smiles at the happy child, “I’m sure they were too embarrassed to give it to you at school or something for your birthday…”

 

Every year from that moment it never failed to arrive, a special plushie left on the door step of the Heartfillia residence, sometimes with a bow or in a gift bag depending on its size, chest huggable to one blue cat that sat 3 feet tall.  They were often something she loved, from stars to the latest cartoon character, pink hearts, or silly weird animals, whomever was leaving these birthday surprises knew her better than most, but she had no idea who it could be coming from. 

Lucy tried asking all of her friends assuming it had to be one of them, but no one ever gave her a clue. For the first few years she tried staying up to see who it could be but always fell asleep before the person arrived and one year she’d even gotten her best friend and neighbor Natsu to come over and wait with her to no avail.  Eventually, by the time high school had come around she had simply given up the quest and hoped that one day the person will reveal themselves on their own.

“So,” her neighbor queried on their walk home from school, “what do you think it’ll be this year?” Natsu knew of her secret admirer dolls and he loved to tease her about it.

“I have no idea,” Natsu had turned it into a guessing game over the last several years, trying to figure out what the gift could be, and while Lucy didn’t mind playing along, it was getting old.  “But I wish they’d just give it to me in person.  I mean we’re older now and if someone has a crush on me they should just say something.”

“Oh really, you think it’s that easy to just walk up to someone they like and go hi, I’m the one that’s been stalking you for 10 years, but I really like you so here’s your gift and will you be my girlfriend?”

A flush creep’s over the girl’s cheeks with blotches popping up on her chest, “W-Well when you say it like that I guess not!  And I wouldn’t call them a stalker, they’re probably just really shy or something and I think that’s cute!” 

He chuckles, “O-Okay, maybe you’re right.  You said they seem to know the things you like so, any guess at what it’ll be this year?”

“Mmm,” tapping her chin, “a giant pencil or maybe something from Pokemon, if they’ve figured out I started playing that Go game recently.”

“Sounds like good guesses.” He stops and turns on her, “Hey, wanna stop for ice cream?” holding out his arm, “my treat for your birthday.”

“Aww, Natsu,” she flutters her lashes and weaves her arm through the crook of his with a giggle, “Why I’d be delighted!” 

“Yeah okay weirdo,” laughing at her horrible fake southern accent…

With ice cream cones in hand, the two friends sit down on a bench at Magnolia park discussing the test that was coming up tomorrow.  It was the last final of the year for both of them and while Natsu was confident about the Chemistry exam, Lucy not so much.  She didn’t hate the subject, but it also wasn’t her strongest and if it hadn’t been for Natsu’s tutoring she couldn’t have maintained her B average grade. 

“Just use the review notes I’ve given you to study with and you should be fine.”

“Could I borrow your confidence too?”

He squeezes her hand, “you don’t need it, you’re a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for.”

“Thanks,” blushing at the big grin he was giving her. 

“But, just in case…” Natsu stands up and pulls something out of his pocket and walks around behind her, “this will be my reminder to keep your chin up.”

She attempts to twist around to see what he was doing but stops when she feels his hands placing something around her neck.  Looking down as he finishes clasping the chain, she’s stunned to see a chain attached to a stunning silver Cancer Constellation pendant.  “Natsu this is too much!  I can’t accept…”

“Don’t freak out, it’s not real diamonds, just cubic zirconia’s,” chuckling, “I’m a high school student not a millionaire but when I saw it I knew it would be just perfect for you." 

Lucy traces her fingers along, grazing over each star point, “Natsu it’s so beautiful,” her eyes growing moist.  She pops up off the bench and throws her arms around him in a hug, “Thank you!” kissing him on the cheek, “I absolutely love it!”

“You’re welcome, Happy early birthday…”

 

 

That night after dinner, a quick shower, and with her gathered _‘energy boosters’_ of Powerbars and coffee, Lucy cracks open her Chemistry book ready to pull an all-nighter if need be.  Natsu’s review notes were great, pointing out all the major highlights of each chapter and it would be her starting point for sure, but the young blonde wasn’t taking any chances.  She planned to utilize all the chapter quizzes as well to practice the formulas since that was her weakest point.

 _‘Exothermic is the process of releasing energy… in a high temperature reaction between a fuel source and oxygen…. In a fire the combustion is what produces a flame…. Multiple combustion processes produce heat…’ Exhale, ‘smoke is the gaseous byproduct…’_   Lucy rubs her eyes and in the light of her lamp, checks the time, _‘great 2am already.’_  

She stands up to stretch, arms, back, and legs, grabbing her last energy bar to munch on before walking over to sit on her window bench.  Lucy loved this feature of her room, especially on rainy days when she could simply relax with a book amongst her collection of plushies.  To keep the fabric of the dolls from fading, the curtain was kept closed to block out the light and stayed closed most of the time. But it was dark out, so she cracks it open a couple of inches, just enough to gaze at the stars while she ate her snack.

Movement out of the corner of her eye in the shadows, the street lamps were pretty bright but when Lucy looks closer, there was a person creeping along the path towards her porch!  _‘My secret admirer!!’_  She dashes out of her room, down the stairs, and sprints to the front door.  It didn’t matter if she was in her pajama’s or that her hair was slightly skewed because she was determined to catch him or her _‘finally!’_

“Gotcha!” Lucy proclaims as she swings the front door wide open.  “Oh, my…” but when faced with her admirer, shock quickly morphs into a giggling fit. “I should’a guessed it was gonna be you Natsu!”

With the gift bag still in one hand, he cups the back of his neck in a nervous manner, “Damn, ya finally busted me,” a goofy grin plastered wide on his face.  “Happy Birthday Lucy,” he holds out her present.

But before she accepts his gift, Lucy steps out, closes the door behind her and drags him over to the porch swing.  “I’m curious about why’d you keep doing this in secret?”

“Well when we were 7, I was too shy to give it to you in person, and even though we’ve become close friends, it was kind of fun to see you get all excited of your secret admirer and the gifts so…” shrugging, “I kept it up.”

“Were you ever going to tell me?”

“Eventually,” a slight blush stealing away on his cheeks.  He hands her the bag again, “here, at least I get to see your reaction this time.”

Lucy accepts the bag and pulls out her newest addition.  “A Charizard!” she hugs the dragon to her chest, giggling “looky at the cute flame on its tail!”

“Told ya it was good guesses today.”

“Do you know what else makes this dragon so special?”  Lucy places the stuffed doll back in its bag and scoots closer to her best friend. 

 _Gulp_ , “No…”

She reaches out, caressing his cheek, and feeling the rising warmth of the skin, “the first plushie you gave me was a dragon, so how ironic that when I finally discover your identity, it’s another dragon too.”

“T-that is ironic…”

“Shall I save you the next hard question?”

“Huh?”

The blonde giggles, retracting her hand, sitting up straight, and changes the tone of voice to a deeper Natsu voice impersonation, “hi, I’m the one who’s been stalking you for 10 years, here’s your gift so will you be my girlfriend?”  Now switching to grabbing the doll back out of the bag, holding it to her chest and giggling in an overly dramatic high voice, “Thank you, I love the gift!  And I’d love to be your girlfriend!”

“Alright, alright weirdo,” trying to sound irritated, though the smile was giving away his true feelings. “But, who said I was gonna ask you that?" 

“Gasp!” Lucy fakes the sounds of sniffling and pretends to cry, even burying her face in the doll’s body, “I’ve waited 10 years for my Prince to finally reveal himself to me and when I finally get my wish you want to break my heart now, after all this time…”

“Oh, shut up,” he pulls her into his lap, “my drama queen.”

She peeks out from her doll, “ _Your_ drama queen?”

Plucking the doll away, “Yes _mine_ ,” Natsu tilts her face up, brushing against her lips, “you were always mine, you just hadn’t known it yet.”


	38. It's a Small Universe After All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short for NaluWeen 2018. Crossover story with Eden's Zero characters
> 
> Natsu and Lucy are at a Pumpkin patch to pick out pumpkins when aliens drop in on them.

Rows and rows of orange shapes litter the grounds of the pumpkin patch, big ones, small ones, round ones, and even oddly shaped pumpkins waiting to be picked and turned into festive candle holders, scary warning signs, or delicious pies. 

“How ‘bout this one Lucy?” Natsu holds up an oversized pumpkin, much too big for her to use at her apartment.

She giggles, “Why don’t you take that one to your cottage, or the hall.”

“Hey Natsu,” Happy flies over to where his friends are milling around, “there’s like a weird pattern on the ground.”

“What are you talking about buddy?  Maybe you’re just seeing the rows between the pumpkins.”

“No, it’s different but you can only see it from the sky.”

“Natsu, why don’t you just have Happy show you what he’s talking about while I finish picking my pumpkin.”

“Good idea!  Come on buddy!”

“Aye sir!”

Happy picks Natsu up and flies him high over the farm pointing out the weird oval pattern and smaller circles near the edge of the patch.  “See how it cuts through some of the pumpkin rows?”

“You’re right Happy, it is weird, but I have no idea what it is.”

They hover over the spot for a few minutes, tracing over, and noting that from tip to tip the lines cover a large area about the size of the guild hall, when suddenly, there is an odd shimmering over the area.  “What was that?”  A faint but audible sound to the slayer of metal grinding or a door opening, and that’s when they see four bodies materialize on the ground and the shimmering stops.  “Whoa! Happy take us back to Lucy!”

The Exceed flies as quickly as possible to their friend, dropping Natsu onto the ground.  “Lucy,” stumbling towards her, excited with their discovery, “you’re not going to believe what we saw!!!”

“It was aliens Lushee and they’ve come to eat us!!”

“Aliens?”  She narrows her eyes in confusion, “you two aren’t making any sense.”

“Come see!  Come see!”  Natsu grabs her hand and starts yanking her towards the strange group in the distance.

 

Natsu skids to a stop a few feet before the group of strangers with Lucy working to catch her breath and Happy cowering behind her legs.  “See,” the Exceed whimpers, “Aliens!” pointing at them. 

“They look normal to me,” she mutters, “you two dragged me here for…”

“But they just came out of the shimmering cloud and poof they were there!  Lucy, I swear we weren’t imagining it!”

“Natsu, I think the heat is getting to you.  Maybe we were out here in the pumpkin patch for too long…”

Meanwhile, as the group of space travelers stood gawking at this weird trio arguing amongst themselves, the female notices that one of them looks exactly like, “Happy?” she squeals with delight, looking between the two felines, “There’s another Happy on this planet!!!”

“Huh?” Both Lucy and Natsu stop bickering and turn to the woman of that group.  They look down at their Happy, then over to the other ‘Happy’ standing next to one of the males.  Wow, they did look almost exactly the same! 

But the Exceed is not excited and flies up into Lucy’s arms, burrowing himself against her, “Don’t let them take me away and eat me!”

“Happy don’t be so silly,” she coos

“I’m sorry, eat you?” the woman chokes out, “I can’t eat a machine.”

Now Lucy looks up confused, “but, Happy isn’t a machine.”

“He’s not!”  Lucy shakes her head.  “But?”

And that’s when one of the males walks up to Lucy, “Please don’t mind my ill-mannered colleagues,” taking a hold of her hand, “I believe introductions are due.”  Kissing the back of her hand, “My name is Weisz, and whom are you pretty lady?”

“Lucy,” she squeaks out, a bit unnerved at the forward nature of this stranger.

“Oi,” Natsu pushes Weisz away.  With his eyes narrowed, “don’t be touching her like that.”

“My apologies,” the man steps back.  “We are travelers from space that came across your planet.”

Lucy queries, “Are you here for the pumpkins?”

“No, this just happened to be where we landed.”

The second male steps towards Natsu and sticks out his hand, “Hi I’m Shiki!  Wanna be my friend?”

“I’m Natsu,” shrugging, “I guess, sure I’ll be your friend.”

“Awesome!  What about you?” he approaches Lucy, “Wanna be friends?”

Lucy chuckles, “you seem nice.  I’ll be your friend.”

“Hear that Rebecca, I’ve got new friends!”

She laughs, “Don’t mind our Shiki, he’s like a sweet-hearted goofball.”

“Like our Natsu here,” Lucy giggles, “they’ll get along swell.”  And sure enough, the two are already trading shots and showing each other their abilities.  “See?”

“So, you guys have powers too?”  Weisz asks Lucy.  “Does everyone on this planet have something?”

“Not everyone, but yes we do.”

“I’m Rebecca, and this here is Happy,” gesturing to her blue friend, “he’s a machine that can turn into guns.”

“That’s neat!” Lucy holds out their Happy, “this guy is from a race called Exceeds.  There’s many of them around but he’s been Natsu’s buddy since they were little.”

The conversation’s turn towards other trivial subjects, Rebecca and Weisz gleaming more information about this world from Lucy, the two cats feeling each other out, and the two boys playing around nearby.  Things are going well but as the time passes and the setting sun prompts Lucy that the farm will be closing soon, she’s about to ask the group if they’d like to continue their visit at Fairytail. 

Unfortunately, Natsu had a different way of asking.  He grabs Shiki like he’s one of the pumpkins, hoisting the dark-haired boy over his head. “You’re gonna be so awesome to have around!  I think we’ll keep you here!”

“Hey!” Shiki squirms, “Let me go!”   Using his gravity manipulation, he pushes himself off of Natsu and inadvertently sends the slayer floating into the air.

The slayer shrieks, sending out a stream of fire to grab hold of something but when the throes of motion sickness hits, the blasts become uncontrolled, lighting portions of the pumpkin patch ablaze instead.

“Take cover!” Lucy screams, “Happy go get Natsu!”

The Exceed takes to the air, dodging random blasts of fire as the spinning slayer screams for his friend. “Natsu stop destroying everything!”

When all was said and done, half the pumpkin patch was smoldering, there was slight scorching to the space cruiser, and both Natsu and Shiki were oblivious to all the havoc surrounding them, arms around each other’s shoulders walking down the path away from the farm, laughing and planning some new idea.

The two girls sigh, shaking their heads, “that’s our boys…”


	39. In the Eye of the Beholder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> written for Naluween 2018 Prompt monster
> 
> After being thrown out for becoming a hybrid and told that she was ugly now, Lucy hides away from the world until another hybrid finds her...

_‘Monster…’_   That’s what her father had called her when she reached the age of maturity and her true nature had been revealed.  It was her dead mother’s fault, Jude ranted, five centuries past and a mingling of Draco bloodline with a human now ruined the Heartfillia name.  His prestige would never hold if such past sins came to light and so he’d thrown her out.  Stripped of all but her first name, Lucy had nowhere to go, no way to fend or feed herself, and a meager amount of possessions that fit in a backpack…  She was totally alone in the world.

And this is how she lived for a few months, taking shelter in a small cave, and hiding away from the world.  Lucy would only venture out to find food or bathe in a nearby pond but interaction with other people was avoided at all costs.  She didn’t think she could stand the jeering comments, to be teased and taunted as the freak she had been told she was, who _she_ thought she had become.   

One day at the edge of a pond, she stared into its reflective surface and found the image of a stranger looking back.  Lucy frowned and ran the pads of her finger tips along her cheek, tracing the edges of the shimmering yellow scales that marred her face.  They move upwards, flinching when they hit the solid bony horns peeking through her blonde hair in a curled-back fashion.  A few tear drops strike the surface, rippling the water as her eyes glaze over.  Claws for nails and talons for toes, she couldn’t even wear shoes anymore, just ugly slide sandals.

The scales covered over half of her body.  They cupped her cheeks running into her hairline, ran down her neck and shoulders to the tops of her bosoms, then continue down along her sides leaving her torso bare.  From that point it curves back over her hips, v’ing below her navel and reaching almost to her womanly parts, though in this section the scales are much smaller and thinner, finally traveling the length of her thighs and ending just above the knees. From finger tips to forearms, and the tops of her feet were covered in varying thicknesses.     

She felt as ugly as her father had called her.  No longer the feminine wile, she had once been.  Why’d it have to be her generation that was punished with this affliction?  Lucy scrapes her sharp nails against the scales on her forearms, gritting her teeth, but no matter how hard she digs, she cannot break through the tough shell.  A small shrill of frustration gathering in her throat, this couldn’t be the life she was supposed to lead!  She had so many suitors before the transformation and now... 

Lucy sighs and hangs her head, _‘no one’s gonna want me.’_

 

There was an unfamiliar scent in the air that Natsu couldn’t recognize, but it was strange that it smelled… almost human.  He could count the number of times on one hand that he’d come across the unique smell, but it had been a while and he thought he knew of all the others. Apparently not, and so he had tracked it to the crystalline pond, curious as to who or what was generating it.

But the closer he got, the faint scent became more and more defined.  It was female, for that he was certain, and most likely un-mated since he could detect no male scents beside his own.  What was an unknown and un-mated female doing in the middle of the woods alone? 

As he breaks through the tree line, Natsu can see a glistening figure at the edge of the water that knocks the wind right out of him…     

After finishing her bath, Lucy gathers her belongings ready to leave when some noises in the nearby woods catch her attention.  She turns to see a figure standing only a few feet from her.  How had the person snuck up without her noticing!  In a panic she survey’s the open area and aside from diving back into the water there was no way for her to hide.  She cringes, backing away, “W-who are you?  What do you want?”

But all Natsu could do was stare at the cowering woman.  He was too stunned, too taken aback by his discovery of this young Draco, who was not only just like him, but she was, “beautiful…” In the fading daylight, her yellow scales shone like golden honey, her big, warm brown eyes were frightened but bright and striking, and her waist length hair cascaded down her back in waves like the ripples upon a winded lake.  “Wow, you are so… beautiful!” 

Maybe she needed to dig the wax out of her ears.  Lucy had been so spooked by the stranger, that she hadn’t taken a good look at him but now, with neither side making any sudden movements, she could, and he was just like her!  Taking in his full stature, this male’s scales were red but they along with other features mirrored her own!  And he was a good-looking guy, albeit a monster like her.  But, was this a good thing or bad thing?  Apprehension creeps over her, if this guy attacked or tried to kidnap her, judging on their size in comparison, she’d have no chance.

Again, she takes a step back, “but, what do you want with me?”

“Where have you been all my life!”

“Excuse me?”  Lucy is knocked back by his response.  “I don’t even know who you are.”

“How could I have not known of your existence!  Whoa, I can’t believe I found a female hybrid and you’d be so fucking gorgeous!”

“But…. I’m a monster,” turning away, for this guy was clearly out of his mind or blind as a bat! “You’re mistaking me sir, maybe you need your eyes checked.”

Now it was his turn to be confused.  “Who called you a monster?  We are definitely not monsters.”

“That’s what my father called me.  I’m ugly now,” gesturing to her body, “who would want a woman with scales and horns!”

“How about a guy with scales and horns?”  Lucy whips back around with her mouth gaping.  “Look I don’t care what your father told you, but we are not ugly, I happen to think I’m pretty fucking handsome,” he grins, “and you are _by far_ the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever laid eyes upon human or otherwise.” 

Tears begin to roll down her cheeks, whether or not this man was delusional was still to be decided but his words felt absolutely genuine. 

“Oh, hey, hey now!” he rushes over and embraces her, “I didn’t mean to make you cry!”

Lucy doesn’t pull away, “Do… Do you really mean it?”  Lifting her head to look in his eyes, “you really think I’m beautiful?”

“Yeah,” his wide smile is warm and infectious, “I really do.”

“What’s your name sir?”

“Natsu Dragneel.”

“I’m Lucy.”

“Any last name?”

“No, it was taken away...”

“That’s okay, I think you’ll have a better one in the future.”


	40. Kizmet the Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> written for Naluween 2018 prompt crystal ball & witch
> 
> College sweetheart Natsu and Lucy attend a fall festival and find out their fates...

Crocus University held their Fall Harvest Festival the weekend before Halloween and this would be the young couples first chance to attend it together.  Natsu had started college the previous year, awaiting his girlfriend Lucy to join him once she had graduated too.  And that year apart had been a difficult one, so they looked forward to making up for lost time. 

They walk hand in hand through the festival’s many booths, sampling or just taking in all the sights with a myriad of foods and entertainment to choose from.  Since the school partnered with a local Jaycee’s organization, there were both school clubs intermixed with local businesses, even rides, and carnival type attractions.  It was a much bigger event than either were used to in their home town of Magnolia.

A couple of hours into the evening, the pair stumbles upon a fortune telling booth, complete with a colorful gypsy-dressed sorceress and crystal ball.  They were about to walk past it, neither really believing in magic or mystical drivel…

“Mmmm,” a female voice calls out, “such beautiful high school sweethearts, a rare thing indeed in this day and age…”

It was a lucky guess, they assume as the couple looks at each other, shrugging their shoulders and preparing to move on.

“… my, my, poor dear you lost your father last year, I’m truly sorry at such a young age…”

Now, Lucy’s blood runs cold draining all color from her cheeks, and Natsu grips tightly to her hand. To guess that they had been together since high school was easy enough, but not such an intimate detail like losing a parent the previous year.  What was this witch up to?

“Fear not, I mean you no harm.”  Sweeping her hand over the ball, “I simply convey what is revealed to me by the crystal.” The woman smiles warmly, beckoning them to sit down.  “Would you like to see what future lies instore for you?”

Natsu narrows his eyes, wary of this witch’s providence.  But Lucy is curious, if she could be correct about one thing, was it simply a coincidence, or was the woman the real deal.  She gazes up at her boyfriend, her hues communicating her wishes.  He sighs and gestures at the chairs.

“Wonderful!  Come, come, don’t be frightened,” she pats the table top.  Once the couple sits, she stares for a moment into the purplish swirling ball, “so far, I do not see anything to worry about in your future,” smiling, “you will both do well in your studies…  hmm, an aspiring writer…” Lucy looks at Natsu with hope.  “… very nice, a chemical engineer…” now even Natsu is beaming.  “…you’ll get married right after college, a simple affair…  and I see children, three in your future that will be deeply loved and cherished by all.”  The woman looks up, “your love will be an enduring one as long as you both stay true to who you are.” 

She sits back, “did you like what you’ve heard?”  The couple nod, yes.  “That’ll be $5 please.  I only charge if the client is satisfied.”

Natsu pulls out a $5 bill and hands it to the woman.

“Have a wonderful life you two!” she waves as the couple walks away.

“Did you believe her?” Natsu asks his girlfriend. 

Lucy giggles and waves her hand, “Oh, no, she had insider information.”

“Wait!  How’d you figure that?”

“That was Cana in a wig and heavy makeup!”


End file.
